PTEN and Ki67 expression is associated with clinicopathologic features of non-small cell lung cancer

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10（PTEN） and the proliferating antigen Ki67 have been widely studied in several tumors.However,their role as indicator in non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC）remains unknown.Here,we investigated the expression of PTEN and Ki67 in NSCLC tissues and paired normal lung tissues to identify whether these proteins are associated with lung cancer development and survival.Immunohistochemistry for PTEN and Ki67 was performed on 67 lung cancer tissues and 41 paired adjacent normal lung tissues to detect the expression of these two proteins.The expression of PTEN in NSCLC tissues（32.8%） was significantly lower than that in normal tissues（82.9%,P 〈 0.05）.In contrast,the expression of Ki67 in NSCLC tissues（76.1%） was significantly higher than that in normal tissues（27.3%,P 〈 0.05）.Expression of both PTEN and Ki67 were strongly associated with tumor histology,clinical stage,lymph node metastasis,differentiation and4-year postoperative survival rate（P 〈 0.05）.However,PTEN expression was negatively correlated with Ki67 expression（r =-0.279,P 〈 0.05）.In conclusion,low PTEN expression and Ki67 overexpression are associated with malignant invasion and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC.These proteins may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of NSCLC.

Association of cardiac disease with the risk of post-lung transplantation mortality in Chinese recipients aged over 65 years

The current organ allocation rules prioritize elderly and urgent patients on the lung transplantation(LT)waiting list.A steady increase in the threshold at which age is taken into consideration for LT has been observed.This retrospective cohort study recruited 166 lung transplant recipients aged≥65 years between January 2016 and October 2020 in the largest LT center in China.In the cohort,subgroups of patients aged 65–70 years(111 recipients,group 65–70)and≥70 years(55 recipients,group≥70)were included.Group D restrictive lung disease was the main indication of a lung transplant in recipients over 65 years.A significantly higher percentage of coronary artery stenosis was observed in the group≥70(30.9%vs.14.4%in group 65–70,P=0.014).ECMO bridging to LT was performed in 5.4%(group 65–70)and 7.3%(group≥70)of patients.Kaplan–Meier estimates showed that recipients with cardiac abnormalities had a significantly increased risk of mortality.After adjusting for potential confounders,cardiac abnormality was shown to be independently associated with the increased risk of post-LT mortality(HR 6.37,P=0.0060).Our result showed that LT can be performed in candidates with an advanced age and can provide life-extending benefits.