Apoptosis level and p73 gene expression in human non-small cell lung cancer tissues

Objective To explore the relationship of the p73 gene transcript expression and the apoptosis level in cancerous tissues with the incidence and development of human non small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). Methods The expression of p73 mRNA and the apoptotic index (AI) was detected in 32 human NSCLC tissues, 32 para cancer tissues, 7 lung benign lesion tissues and matched non cancer lung tissues with RT PCR and TUNEL technique. All data were treated with statistical analysis. Results ① The AI was significantly higher in the lung cancer tissues than in the para cancer tissues and normal lung tissues ( P 0.01). No correlation was found between apoptosis level and the types, differentiation and P TNM stages of NSCLC. ② p73 was over expressed in 28/32 NSCLC tissues. The expression level of the p73 mRNA was significantly higher in the cancer tissues than in the para cancer tissues and benign lesion tissues ( P 0.01).③The expression of p73 gene was positively correlated with the AI of tissue ( P 0.01). Conclusion There is an over expression of p73 mRNA and increase of apoptosis level in NSCLC tissues.