Background: Vinorelbine plus cisplatin/carboplatin (NP) is one of the standard combination chemotherapy regimen for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between expression of Stathmin and beta-tubulin-III in NSCLC biopsies and sensitivity to Vinorelbine, which would provide a basis of the proper medicine choice for the patients' tailored chemotherapy.
Methods: Western blot was used to investigate the expression of Stathmin and beta-tubulin-III protein in the biopsies from stage IIIB-IV NSCLC patients. All the cases were divided into 4 groups according to the level of the two proteins, of which L represented both protein expressed lowly, B showed beta-tubulin-III lowly expressed group, while S showed Stathmin lowly, and H represented both protein highly expressed. At the same time, all the patients accepted NP chemotherapy for 2 or 4 cycles according to the responses to this regimen. The responses rate (RR), media survival time (MST), time to progress (TTP) were observed.
Results: A total of 90 stage IIIB-IV NSCLC patients were divided into 4 groups, 22 in L group, 23 in B and S group while 22 in H group respectively. The RR of the groups were 68.2%, 26.1%, 30.4% and 22.7% respectively. There were statistically significant differences between L group and other 3 groups (P <0.05). The MST were 377, 305, 321 and 271 days respectively, and the TTP were 240, 182, 190 and 166 days in the 4 groups. Statistically significant differences between L group and other 3 groups (P <0.05) can be seen in both MST and TTP.
Conclusions: The expression of beta-tubulin-III and Stathmin in advanced NSCLC biopsies had relationship with the sensitivity to NP chemotherapy regimen in the patients. Cases with high level of these two proteins would have poor responses to this cytotoxic drug.