Prognostic evaluation of CapG, gelsolin, P-gp, GSTP1, and Topo-II proteins in non-small cell lung cancer.

Metastasis and multidrug resistance (MDR) are the main reasons for the poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The use of biomarkers may contribute to a more accurate prediction of tumor metastasis, a better response to chemotherapy, and better patient survival. Gelsolin-like actin-capping protein (CapG) and gelsolin have been identified as playing important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Permeability glycoprotein (P-gp), glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP1), and topoisomerase-II (Topo-II) are proteins that are closely related to MDR. In this study, we assessed the prognostic significance of CapG and gelsolin (both markers of tumor motility), and of P-gp, GSTP1, and Topo-II (markers of MDR) in NSCLC patients. One hundred and twenty-one patients with pathologically confirmed, resectable NSCLC were included in the study. The expression levels of the five kinds of proteins mentioned above were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The correlation between the clinical characteristics and IHC findings were analyzed. Expression of CapG, gelsolin, and P-gp was found to be associated with an increased risk of death (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.799, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.2705-6.169, P = 0.011; HR = 3.968, 95% CI = 1.811-8.693, P = 0.001; HR = 3.251, 95% CI = 1.456-7.260, P = 0.004, respectively), whereas expression of GSTP1 and Topo-II was not. These results suggest that higher tumor motility and MDR may be important in NSCLC prognosis.