Thin-section CT findings of peripheral lung adenocarcinomas correlate well with histologic prognostic factors.

We have developed a new strategy for the evaluation of the mutagenicity of a damaged DNA precursor (deoxyribonucleoside 5-triphosphate) in Escherichia coli. 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine triphosphate (8-OH-dGTP) and 2-hydroxydeoxyadenosine triphosphate (2-OHdATP) were chosen for this study because they appear to be formed abundantly by reactive oxygen species in cells. We introduced the oxidatively damaged nucleotides into competent E. coli and selected mutants of the chromosomal lacI gene. Both damaged nucleotides induced lacI gene mutations in a dose-dependent manner, whereas unmodified dATP and dGTP did not appear to elicit the mutations. The addition of 50 nmol of 8-OHdGTP and 2-OH-dATP into an E. coli suspension induced 12-and 9-fold more substitution mutations than the spontaneous event, respectively. The 8-OH-dGTP induced A⅐T 3 C⅐G transversions, and the 2-OH-dATP elicited G⅐C 3 T⅐A transversions. These results indicate that the two oxidatively damaged nucleotides are mutagenic in vivo and suggest that 8-OH-dGTP and 2-OH-dATP were incorporated opposite A and G residues, respectively, in the E. coli DNA. This new method enables the evaluation and comparison of the mutagenic potentials of damaged DNA precursors in vivo.

The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was one of the most important prognostic factors in completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer, especially in squamous cell carcinoma.

The detection of lymph nodal micrometastasis by cytokeratin and p53 protein immunohistochemical staining will be helpful to predict the recurrence and prognosis of patients with completely resected stage 1 NSCLC.

Detection of p53 mutations may help in the selection of NSCLC patients suitable for appropriate investigational therapeutic strategies in view of improving their survival and quality of life.