• Takashi Ibe, Kimihiro Shimizu, Tetsuhiro Nakano, Seiichi Kakegawa, Mitsuhiro Kamiyoshihara, Takashi Nakajima, Kyoichi Kaira, and Izumi Takeyoshi.
• Division of Thoracic and Visceral Organ Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
• J Surg Oncol. 2010 Jul 1;102(1):11-7.

BackgroundThymidylate synthase (TS) expression has been reported in various tumors, including non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), but not in high-grade neuroendocrine (HGNE) carcinoma of the lung.MethodsWe measured TS expression in surgically resected pulmonary tumors, comparing HGNE carcinomas of the lung (13 large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, 8 small-cell lung carcinomas) with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung using laser-capture microdissection for tissue isolation, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and immunohistochemistry. We also measured TS mRNA expression in small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and NSCLC cell lines using real-time PCR.ResultsAt both mRNA and protein levels, TS expression was significantly higher in squamous cell carcinoma compared to adenocarcinoma. Moreover, TS expression was significantly higher in HGNE carcinomas of the lung compared to squamous cell carcinoma. A significant correlation was found between mRNA and protein expression. TS mRNA expression in SCLC cell lines was significantly higher than in NSCLC cell lines.ConclusionsTS expression was higher in HGNE carcinomas of the lung than in squamous cell carcinoma, which was higher than in adenocarcinoma. This information may be useful in predicting the effects of TS-inhibiting agents in patients with NSCLC and HGNE carcinomas of the lung.(c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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