Aim: To retrospectively analyze the clinicopathological data of 87 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens and explore the clinicopathological correlation of survivin with p53 and Bcl-2 and the applicability of combined detection for NSCLC prognosis.
Methods: Survivin, p53 and bcl-2 expression levels were examined in 87 NSCLC specimens using streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry. The correlation with NSCLC was analyzed with Spearman rank correlation test.
Results: Survivin was positive in 55.2% (48/87) of NSCLC specimens, which was mainly located in cytoplasms and cell-specific. NSCLC at various stages showed significant difference in the positivity of survivin: at stage III and IV (mid and late stage) was 71.1% (32/45) while at stage I and II (early and mid stage) was 38.1% (16/42, P<0.01). Primary tumor with various staging showed no differential expressions of survivin; expression of survivin was significantly correlated with N staging whereby the positivity of specimens without lymph nodal involvement (N0) was 43.5% (27/62) and that for those with lymph nodal involvement (N1-2) was 84.0% (21/25, P<0.01). Survivin was detected in 76.0% (38/50) squamous cell carcinoma and 27.0% (10/37) of adenocarcinoma in a significantly different manner (P<0.01). p53 was positive in 64.6% (56/87) of NSCLC specimens, which was mainly located in cytoplasms and cell-specific. The positivity of specimens with lymph nodal involvement (N1-2) (84.0%, 21/25) was significantly higher than that for those without lymph nodal involvement (N0) (54.8%) (34/62, P<0.01). Moreover, p53 expression was tissue-specific whereby the positivity with squamous cell carcinoma (76.0%, 38/50) was significantly higher than that with adenocarcinoma (27.0%), (10/37, P<0.01). Bcl-2 was positive in 56.3% (49/87) of NSCLC specimens, which was mainly located in cytoplasms and nuclei and cell-specific. The positivity of specimens with lymph nodal involvement (N1-2) (48.0%, 12/25) was significantly higher than that for those without lymph nodal involvement (N0) (22.6%) (14/62, P<0.01).
Conclusion: Upregulation of survivin represented its clinico-pathological association with NSCLC and meanwhile substantial correlation is confirmed between survivin, p53 and bcl-2.