%0 Journal Article
%T Immunoreactivity of the 14F7 Mab (Raised against N-Glycolyl GM3 Ganglioside) as a Positive Prognostic Factor in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
%A Ranc¨¦s Blanco
%A Charles E. Rengifo
%A Mercedes Cede£¿o
%A Milagros Fr¨®meta
%A Enrique Rengifo
%A Adriana Carr
%J Pathology Research International
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/235418
%X Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Therefore, numerous studies are focusing on the assessment of other biological and molecular prognostic factors in these tumors. We evaluated the relationship between 14F7 Mab reactivity, pathological features, DNA-content and S-phase fraction (SPF), and their impact in the survival of NSCLC patients. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry optical microscopy assays as well as DNA content and SPF measuring using flow cytometry were performed. The 14F7 reactivity was widely observed in NSCLC sections, no depending of the clinicopathological characteristics. We also obtained differences in the intensity of reaction with 14F7 as well as in the SPF between diploid and aneuploid carcinomas. Patients with diploid tumors showing higher SPF and 14F7 reaction joint to a low mitotic index displayed higher survival rates. Our results are in agreement with the assumption of the possible positive prognostic value of 14F7 staining in NSCLC. 1. Introduction Malignant neoplasms of respiratory system are one of the most common human cancers. Among them, the malignancies of lung have a very poor prognosis, representing the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide [1]. There are two main variants of the disease, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC is the most common form of the disease, accounting for approximately 85% of all cases [2]. Despite of the recent advances in cancer therapy, the therapeutic option available for patients with disease that cannot be surgically managed has traditionally been limited to chemotherapy, providing a modest survival benefit [3]. Nowadays, research efforts are focusing on the better understanding of tumor biology and genetics of lung tumors in order to select better molecules as target, leading to more effective treatments for this often difficult disease [3]. Among these molecules, gangliosides have been included [4]. Gangliosides are sialic-acid-containing glycosphingolipids engaged in many biological events that take place at vertebrate¡¯s cell membrane [5]. Usually, malignant cells expressing aberrant glycolylated pattern in the gangliosides composition have been identified by immunohistochemistry. It is known that N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) is the most abundant sialic acid form expressed in humans. In contrast to NeuAc, the expression of NeuGc (N-glycolylneuraminic acid) forming the structure of gangliosides and/or other glycoconjugates (Hanganutziu-Deicher antigen) has been considered as
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/pri/2012/235418/