Expression And Clinical Significance Of Transcription Factor SOX4 In Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to investigate the expression of SOX4 in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)tissues and their adjacent normal lung tissues.In addition,the significance for selection of treatment method based on its expression is discussed.Methods63 patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer were included in the study.Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q-PCR)and immunohisto chemistry were used to determine SOX4 mRNA and protein expression in lung cancer tissues and normal lung tissues.Chi-square test and independent sample t-test were used to analyze the differences of SOX4 protein and mRNA expression in each subgroup.ResultsImmunohistochemical staining results:SOX4 protein is specifically localized in the cell nucleus.19/63 specimens lung tissues with high expression state can be observed.In contrast,high expression events in non-small cell lung cancer tissues occur more frequently(38/63).There was a significant statistical difference in the expression ratio(χ2=11.565,P<0.001).Further analysis of the expression differences in each subgroup,the high expression ratio of SOX4 protein in the well-differentiated group was lower than that in the medium and poorly differentiated groups(χ2=9.839,P<0.05).The high expression ratio of SOX4 protein in the clinical stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ group is lower than thatin the clinical stage Ⅲ group,(χ2=10.030,P<0.05).The high expression ratio of SOX4 protein in the non-lymph node metastasis(N0)group was lower than that in the lymph node metastasis-positive(Ni-N2)group(χ2=l0.240,P<0.001)t.q-PCR results:the relative expression of SOX4mRNA in 63 non-small cell lung cancer tissues was higher than that in paracancerous tissues,(t=10.419,P<0.001).The the relative expression of SOX4mRNA was higher in the lung cancer tissues with moderately and poorly differentiated patients t=2.948,P<0.05.The SOX4mRNA expression in clinical stage III patient group was higher than that in lung cancer tissues in clinical stage I-II patient(t=-2.047,P<0.05).In other groups(age,gender,smoking status,histological type),the positive expression ratio of SOX4 protein and the relative expression of mRNA were not significantly different(all P>0.05).SOX4 expression has no correlation with these clinicopathological characteristics.ConclusionSOX4 may play the role of an oncogene,and high expression leads to the occurrence and progression of tumors.