High-level expression of Hsp90[beta] is associated with poor survival in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer patients

• Published in: Histopathology Vol. 67; no. 4; p. 509
• Main Authors: Kim, Seok-Hyun, Ji, Jun Ho, Park, Kyung Tae, Lee, Ji Hyun, Kang, Kyung Woo, Park, Jae Hong, Hwang, Sang Won, Lee, Eun Hee, Cho, Yu Ji, Jeong, Yi Yeong, Kim, Ho-Cheol, Lee, Jong Deog, Jang, Inseok, Lee, Jong Sil, Lee, Hyoun Wook, Lee, Gyeong-Won
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2015
• Subjects: Lung cancer
• ISSN: 0309-0167; 1365-2559
• DOI: 10.1111/his.12675

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Hsp90[beta] and GRP94, and elucidate the clinical significance of their expression, in patients with resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and results Surgical tissue specimens were obtained from 208 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgical resection. The expression levels of Hsp90[beta] and GRP94 were assessed with tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry. No correlations were observed between Hsp90[beta] or GRP94 expression and several clinicopathological factors. The high-Hsp90[beta] group [median overall survival (OS) 20.4 months; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.000-40.864] showed a significant decrease in OS as compared with the low-Hsp90[beta] group (median OS not reached; P = 0.003). In contrast to the Hsp90[beta] analysis, the GRP94 analysis did not show a difference in OS. Moreover, in subgroup analyses of patients with squamous cell carcinoma histology, OS (P = 0.012) and relapse-free survival (P = 0.044) were significantly worse in the high-Hsp90[beta] group than in the low-Hsp90[beta] group. Multivariate analysis suggested that old age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.568; 95% CI 1.019-2.412; P = 0.041], advanced disease (HR 2.066; 95% CI 1.218-3.502; P = 0.007) and high Hsp90[beta] expression (HR 1.802; 95% CI 1.061-3.060; P = 0.029) were independent poor prognostic factors for OS. Conclusions Hsp90[beta] expression might be a useful marker of poor OS, although further large prospective studies are warranted to validate our findings.