[The value and association of CCR7 expression in NSCLC with lymph node metastasis.].

BACKGROUND: It has became a hotspot research about the target metastasis of malignant tumor in recent years. It has been proven that metastasis of malignant tumor is a nonrandom but highlyorganized and selective process. The aim of this study is by analysing the expression of CC Chemokine Receptor 7 (CCR7) in pulmonary tumor tissue and metastasized lymph nodes in NSCLC, to explore the relationship between the expression of CCR7 in pulmonary tumor tissue and metastasized lymph nodes, and explore the significance. METHODS: SABC immunohitochemcal staining was used to investigate the expression of CCR7 by rabbit anti-human CCR7 monoclonal antibody, and the specimens were 17 cases of adenocarcinoma, 17 cases of Squamous cell Carcinoma, 12 cases of Adenosquamous Carcinoma, 4 cases of large cell carcinoma and 28 cases of metastasized lymph nodes of lung cancer. Negative control sections use 5 cases of inflammatory pseudotumor and 20 cases of normal lung tissue. Two independent pathologists observed all the specimens in the high power field (*400) of microscope by double blind method. RESULTS: 1.The expression of CCR7 in pulmonary tumor tissue was remarkably higher than normal lung tissue (P <0.005); 2. The expression of CCR7 between pulmonary tumor tissue and metastasized lymph nodes had no significant differences (P =0.177); 3. The expression of CCR7 had correlation with lymph nodes metastasis, The expression level in lymph nodes metastasis group was significantly higher than that in no lymph nodes metastasis group (P =0.016); 4. Along with the increment that clinical stage, the CCR7 expression had increases the high trend (P =0.003). CONCLUSIONS: CCR7 is over-expression in carcinoma cell nests and lymph node metastasis . It demonstrates that CCR7 may be related to the development of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC.