PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF PS2 PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN PULMONARY ADENOCARCINOMA

In the present study, pS2 protein expression in pulmonary adenocarcino ma was investigated on paraffin-embedded sections obtained from 170 pa tients. 28 (16%) patients showed varying degrees of pS2 protein expres sion in the cytoplasm of tumour cells, as detected by immunohistochemi cal staining with anti-pS2 protein antibody. There was a significant a ssociation between pS2 protein expression and larger tumour size, and the acinar or bronchiolo-alveolar subtype. However, no significant cor relations between pS2 protein status and the other clinicopathological factors, i.e. T-factor, N-factor, stage and histological differentiat ion, were shown. In contrast to breast cancer, patients with pS2-posit ive pulmonary adenocarcinomas had a significantly worse prognosis than those with pS2-negative pulmonary adenocarcinomas; this was true for stage I patients, as well as for all patients. Multivariate analysis s howed that pS2 protein expression was a discriminating variable in ove rall survival. These findings suggest that pS2 protein status is a pos sible prognostic indicator in pulmonary adenocarcinoma.