Expression and it’s Relationship of PRL-3 and RhoC in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Background and objective Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) is a newly identified proteintyrosine phosphatase, which belongs to phosphatase of regenerating liver family, and plays a role in promoting tumor metastasis; Ras homologue C (RhoC) belongs to Rho subfamily of small-molecule G protein superfamily. However, the mechanisms of PRL-3 and RhoC are unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC proteins and their correlation to invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which may provide experiment evidence of the mechanism of PRL-3 in tumorigenesis and tumor-development. Methods Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC in NSCLC in 92 cases, and statistical methods were used to analyse statistical significances of their expressions in different groups and their correlation. Results The positive rates of PRL-3 and RhoC expressions in NSCLC were 69.6% (64/92) and 73.9% (68/92), respectively, and the expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC were closely correlated with TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis and pleural metastasis (P<0.01), and they were correlated with each other (r=0.754, P<0.001). Conclusion The expressions of PRL-3 and RhoC are higher in the higher TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis and pleural metastasis cases, and closely correlate with each other in NSCLC, which suggests that PRL-3 and RhoC might be in the same signal pathway and PRL-3 might promote the distant metastasis of cancer cell by RhoC and downstream factors.

Keywords

• Lung neoplasms
• PRL-3 protein
• RhoC protein
• Immunohistochemistry