[Relationship between the levels of KAI1/CD82 and CD44 and the clinicopathological features of non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the relationship between levels of KAI1/CD82 and CD44 in lung carcinomas and their clinicopathological features, in association with the results of metastasis.

METHODS: The expressions of KAI1/CD82 and CD44 in 45 patients with lung cancer were detected by flow-cytometry. Tissue samples 3 cm (control group 1) and 5 cm (control group 2) from the cancerous lesions and benign lesions from 30 patients (control group 3) were also studied, and the results were compared.

RESULTS: The expression level of KAI1/CD82 protein in lung cancer was lower than that in other three groups (P < 0.01), while the expression level of CD44 was higher than that in other three groups (P < 0.01). The expression level of KAI1/CD82 in control group 1 was also lower than that in control group 2 and benign lesion group (P < 0.05). The expression level of CD44 was higher than that in control group 2 and benign lesion group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the expression level of CD44 and KAI1/CD82 in control group 2 and benign lesion group (P > 0.05). The expression level of KAI1/CD82 and CD44 were closely correlated with clinical staging, pathological differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), but their expressions were not correlated with sex, age, tumor size and pathological type (P > 0.05). Statistic difference was found between KAI1/CD82 and CD44 in primary lesions and metastatic lesions (P < 0.01). There was an inversely correlation between the expression of CD44 and KAI1/CD82 in clinical staging and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: KAI1/CD82 and CD44 may play an important regulating role in the genesis, development and metastasis of lung cancer, and they may be used as potential markers for tumor metastasis.