Background and objective: Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) is a newly identified protein-tyrosine phosphatase, which belongs to phosphatase of regenerating liver family, and plays a role in promoting tumor metastasis; Ras homologue C (RhoC) belongs to Rho subfamily of small-molecule G protein superfamily. However, the mechanisms of PRL-3 and RhoC are unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC proteins and their correlation to invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which may provide experiment evidence of the mechanism of PRL-3 in tumorigenesis and tumor-development.
Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC in NSCLC in 92 cases, and statistical methods were used to analyse statistical significances of their expressions in different groups and their correlation.
Results: The positive rates of PRL-3 and RhoC expressions in NSCLC were 69.6% (64/92) and 73.9% (68/92), respectively, and the expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC were closely correlated with TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis and pleural metastasis (P < 0.01), and they were correlated with each other (r = 0.754, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: The expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC are higher in the higher TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis and pleural metastasis cases, and closely correlate with each other in NSCLC, which suggests that PRL-3 and RhoC might be in the same signal pathway and PRL-3 might promote the distant metastasis of cancer cell by RhoC and downstream factors.
背景与目的: PRL-3是新近发现的酪氨酸蛋白磷酸酶，尚属于肝再生磷酸酶家族，具有促进肿瘤转移作用；RhoC属于小分子G蛋白超家族中的Rho亚家族，二者作用机制不清楚。本研究通过检测非小细胞肺癌（nonsmall cell lung cancer, NSCLC）中PRL-3和RhoC的表达，分析二者表达的相关性及在不同分组之间的差异，为进一步研究PRL-3在肿瘤发生发展中的作用机理提供实验依据。
方法: 采用免疫组化SP法检测PRL-3和RhoC在92例NSCLC中的表达，用统计学方法检验分析二者在不同分组间的表达差异性及二者的相关性。
结果: 在NSCLC中PRL-3和RhoC的表达阳性率分别为69.6%（64/92）、73.9%（68/92），二者的表达在不同的TNM分期、淋巴结及胸膜是否转移的分组之间差异有统计学意义（P < 0.01），同时二者的表达具有相关性（r=0.754, P < 0.001）。
结论: 在NSCLC中PRL-3和RhoC在TNM分期较高以及合并淋巴结、胸膜转移的分组中表达较高，同时二者的表达具有相关性，提示PRL-3可能通过RhoC及其下游因子促进癌细胞的远处转移。