mTOR和PTEN在非小细胞肺癌组织中的表达及临床意义

Expression and Clinical Significance of mTOR and PTEN in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

背景与目的mTOR是调节细胞生长和增殖的重要信号转导分子,也是一种蛋白激酶。它通过活化下游的相关的效应蛋白发挥作用。在信号转导通路中PTEN基因可通过对该信号途径的负调控而抑制mTOR的活化。本研究通过分析mTOR信号转导途径中mTOR和PTEN基因在非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)组织中的表达和临床意义。方法外科手术中获取65例NSCLC组织及30例癌旁组织,RT-PCR技术检测NSCLC组织及癌旁组织中mTOR和PTEN基因的表达水平。结果mTOR在NSCLC组织中表达量(0.23±0.16)显著高于癌旁组(0.12±0.09)(P<0.01),PTEN在NSCLC组织中表达量(0.19±0.28)显著低于癌旁组(0.53±0.28)(P<0.01)。mTOR和PTEN与病人的性别、年龄、病理类型、淋巴结转移情况无关,与病人的肿瘤大小有关。结论mTOR在NSCLC中被激活,PTEN在NSCLC组织表达缺失或减少,mTOR通路的激活和PTEN表达缺失在NSCLC发生发展中起到一定的作用。

Background and objective It has been proved that mTOR was an important signal transduction molecular and protein kinase regulating cell growth and proliferation, and mTOR could activate the downstream protein effector. PTEN could negatively regulate mTOR signal pathway and inhibit its activity. The aim of this study is to detect the mRNA expression levels of mTOR and PTEN gene, which are the key genes of mTOR signaling pathway in human non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） tissue. The relationship between mTOR signaling pathway and NSCLC is also explored. Methods Lung cancer tissue specimens were obtained from 65 patients. Adjacent-tumor non-small cell lung cancer tissues from the 30 patients were served as control. The RT-PCR technique was used to detect the mTOR and PTEN gene expression levels. Results The average mRNA expression levels of mTOR gene were significantly higher （0.23±0.16） in lung cancer than in adjacent-tumor tissue （0.12±0.09）（P0.01）. The average mRNA expression levels of PTEN gene were （0.19±0.28） in lung cancer, while the mRNA expression levels of PTEN gene were （0.53±0.28） in adjacent-tumor tissue （P0.01）. The levels of PTEN gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer were significantly lower than that in adjacent-tumor lung tissue. There are not significant relationship between mTOR and PTEN gene expression levels and patients’ age, gender, pathological type, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, except tumor size. Conclusion The expression of mTOR is activated in NSCLC. The expression of PTEN is absent or decreased. The mTOR activated in NSCLC may be correlate with the absent or decreased of PTEN. The absent or decreased expression of PTEN and the actived mTOR may play important roles in carcinogenesis and metastasis of NSCLC.