Objective: To explore the protein-tyrosine-phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) expression and its prognostic significance in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods: Immunohistochemical method of EnVision was applied to investigate the expression of PTP1B in lung specimens from 63 cases with NSCLC and 9 cases with pneumonia confirmed by pathological examination after surgical removals at Jinling Hospital from June 2000 to October 2010. The data of PTP1B expression in different lung tissues and its relationship with clinicopathological features and prognostic value for survival were analyzed by chi-square test, Kaplan-Meire survival analysis, Log rank test and multivariable Cox regression analysis.
Results: The expression of PTP1B was negative in pneumonia group while positive in NSCLC tissues (32/63, 50.8%) (χ(2) = 8.229, P = 0.004). The expression of PTP1B in NSCLC tissue was not correlated with gender, age, smoking history, tumor size, pathological type, lymph node metastasis and chemotherapy, but significantly associated with pTNM staging (χ(2) = 6.426, P = 0.040). Kaplan-Meire survival analysis showed that the expression of PTP1B was significantly correlated with overall survival (Log-rank, P = 0.047). Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that both PTP1B (HR = 2.050, P = 0.044) and pTNM staging (HR = 3.631, P = 0.000) were independent prognostic factors for NSCLC.
Conclusions: PTP1B may be a biomarker for differential diagnosis of malignant lung disease. And PTP1B and pTNM were independent prognostic factors for NSCLC.