BLOOD-VESSEL INVASION AND EXPRESSION OF SIALYL LEWIS(X) AND PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN IN STAGE-I NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

Background. Recurrence in Stage I non-small cell lung cancer was exami ned with respect to vascular invasion and the immunohistochemical expr ession of sialyl-dimeric Lewis(x) (SLX) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Methods. One hundred twenty-eight patients with Stage I non-small cell lung cancer who had a curative resection were the su bjects of this study. Using tumor tissues fixed in formaldehyde soluti on, blood vessel invasion (BVI) and lymphatic invasion stained with Vi ctoria blue-hematoxylin and eosin and the immunohistochemical expressi on of SLX and PCNA were retrospectively studied with respect to postop erative recurrence. Results. By univariate analysis, BVI and SLX and P CNA expression were significantly important factors of disease-free su rvival(P < 0.01). The disease-free survival of the patients with both BVI and SLX expression was significantly shorter than that of the pati ents with BVI but negative SLX expression (P < 0.02). In 35 patients w ith recurrence, tumors with PCNA expression showed a significantly sho rter time to recurrence compared with tumors without PCNA expression ( P < 0.01). Conclusions. BVI and SLX expression may be important determ inants of recurrence. PCNA may be a determinant of time to recurrence.