Clinicopathological significance of expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN in lung cancer

Objective To study the expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN in lung cancer and its clinicopathological significance.?Methods The expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN was examined in 66 lung cancer specimens using SP immunohistochemical technique. Control study was made in 10 surrounding non-tumorous lung tissue.?Results The expression level of PTEN in lung cancer (27.3%) was lower than that in surrounding non-tumorous lung tissue (90.0%). The positive rate of PTEN was 55.6% in well differentiated lung squamous cell carcinomas and 0 in poorly differentiated ones ( P 0.01). The expression of PTEN protein was not related to age, sex, size of tumor, histopathological type, TNM stage or lymph node metastasis ( P 0.05).?Conclusion PTEN gene plays a role in the development of lung cancer. The level of PTEN protein is pertinent to the degree of differentiation in lung squamous cell carcinomas.