Background and objective: it has been proven that lymph node metastasis was closely related to prognosis of lung cancer. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) and interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) could promote lymph node metastasis through vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D). The aim of this study is to explore the expressions of IL-7 and IL-7R in lung cancer and the relationship between them with lymph node metastasis and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods: the expressions of IL-7 and IL-7R in 95 cases of NSCLC were detected with immunohistochemistry method and the relationship between IL-7 and IL-7R and their impact on lung cancer patients' outcomes were analyzed.
Results: in 95 cases of NSCLC, the high expression rates of IL-7, IL-7R and VEGF-D were 63.16%, 61.05% and 58.95%. The expressions of IL-7 and IL-7R were correlated closely with clinic stage and lymph node metastasis, but had no relationship with age, gender, histological type and differentiation degree. The lymphatic vessel density (LVD) mean of the group with high expressions of IL-7 and IL-7R was higher than that with low or negative expressions of IL-7 and IL-7R, and they were significant different in statistics. Log-rank analysis showed that the postoperative survival period was significantly shorter in high expression groups IL-7, IL-7R and VEGF-D comparing with that in low or negative groups.
Conclusions: the high expression of IL-7 and IL-7R is highly positie correlated with clinic stage, lymph node metastasis, VEGF-D, LVD and poor prognosis in Non-small cell lung cancer.
背景与目的: 已有的研究表明淋巴转移与肺癌的预后密切相关，白介素-7（interleukin-7, IL-7）和IL-7受体（interleukin-7 receptor, IL-7R）可以通过血管内皮生长因子-D（vascular endothelial growth factor-D, VEGF-D）促进淋巴转移。本研究旨在探讨IL-7和IL-7R在非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）中的表达情况，分析它们与各临床病理因素、VEGF-D及预后之间的关系。
方法: 免疫组化方法检测95例原发性NSCLC组织标本中IL-7和IL- 7R的表达情况，分析它们与各临床病理因素、VEGF-D及预后之间的关系。
结果: 95例原发性NSCLC组织中IL-7、IL-7R和VEGF-D高表达者分别占63.16%、61.05%和58.95%，IL-7和IL-7R的表达与临床分期和淋巴结转移均密切相关，而与患者的年龄、性别、组织分型、分化程度无明显关系；IL-7和IL-7R与VEGF-D高表达组的淋巴管密度（lymphatic vessel density, LVD）明显高于低表达或无表达组的LVD，差异具有统计学意义（P=0.003，P=0.019和P < 0.001）；生存分析显示IL-7和IL-7R与VEGF-D高表达组的预后较差。
结论: 在NSCLC中IL-7/IL-7R高表达与分期、淋巴结转移、VEGF-D、LVD和预后不良呈正相关。