Résumé
Objective: To study the expression of F1 ATPase-α in non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical significance. Methods: expression level of F1 ATPase-α was examined by immunohistochemical Envision method in 38 NSCLC samples and the adjacent normal tissues, 7 benign tumors and chronic pneumonia samples. (2) F1 ATPase-α mRNA expression were detected in 12 fresh samples of NSCLC and the adjacent normal tissues by PT-PCR. (3) The expression of F1 ATPase-α on the pericellular membrane of A549 cells was observed by immunofluorescence. Results: (1) Immunohistochemistry analysis showed median and higher expression of F1 ATPase-α in 36 of NSCLC specimens and 11 adjacent normal tissues; lower expression was detected in all the benign samples. The overexpression of F1ATPase-α in lung adenocarcinoma tissues were significantly higher than that in the lung squamous cancer (P<0.05). The expression of F1 ATPase-α in NSCLC was not associated with the histology type, location, differentiation degree, size, invasion and metastasis. (2) The relative level of ECTO-F1ATPase-α was 0.31±0.12 in the adjacent normal tissues and 0.54±0.19 in NSCLC tissues (P<0.01). (3)The conspicuous positive expression of F1 ATPase-α on the pericellular membrane of A549 cells was not observed on normal bronchial epithetial cells. Conclusion: (1) NSCLC has a higher expression of F1 ATPase-α and the expression is on the pericellular membrane of A549 cells, which may provide a new target for molecular therapy of NSCLC.