Expression and clinical significance of heparanase in the tissue of human non-small cell lung cancer

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of heparanase in the tissue of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)and the relationship between heparanase expression and clinical pathological features.Methods Expression of heparanase gene in 52 resected surgically NSCLC tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues were detected by RT-PCR assay and immunohistochemical staining.Then the relationship between heparanase expression and clinical pathological features of NSCLC was analyzed.Results The expression of heparanase gene and protein was observed in NSCLC tissues.Heparanase protein was located in tumor cell cytoplasm and/or cell membrane.The rate of heparanase mRNA expression in cancer tissues(39/52,75%)was significantly higher than that(11/52,21.2%) in adjacent normal tissues(P0.01).The rate of heparanase protein expression in cancer tissues(36/52,69.2%)was significantly higher than that(9/52,17.3%)in adjacent normal tissues(P0.01).Heparanase expression was correlated to histology,lymphatic metastasis and TNM stages(P0.01).Conclution Heparanase is overexpressed in cancerous tissues,as compared with adjacent tissues.The expression of heparanase is correlated to metastasis and development of NSCLC.