Abstract
Basaloid carcinoma represents a rare variant of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which showed a poor prognosis in a couple of studies. Although it is considered to derive from a pluri- or multipotent pulmonary stem cell, little is known about the expression and clinical significance of stem cell antigens in this variant.
Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) was analysed by immunohistochemistry in 38 patients with resected early-stage basaloid NSCLC who had a median follow-up of 72.9 months. The expression of SSEA-4 was related to clinico-pathological characteristics, the expression of the adult stem cell antigens CD117, CD133 and breast cancer resistance protein-1 (BCRP1) and prognosis.
SSEA-4 was positive in 37% of the specimens and showed no association with clinico-pathological characteristics or the expression of adult stem cell antigens. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed a 6.0-fold increased risk of relapse (p=0.001) and a 4.2-fold increased risk of disease-related mortality (p=0.017) in SSEA-4 positive patients, while SSEA-4 negative patients showed a prognosis comparable to that of other early-stage NSCLC.
SSEA-4 is expressed in a fraction of basaloid NSCLC and associated with poor prognosis.
- ERS