Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4is expressed in basaloid lung cancer and associated with poor prognosis

Abstract

Basaloid carcinoma represents a rare variant of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which has shown a poor prognosis in a number of studies. Although it is considered to derive from a pluri-or multipotent pulmonary stem cells, little is known about the expression and clinical significance of stem cell antigens in this variant.Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) was analysed by immunohistochemistry in 38 patients with resected early-stage basaloid NSCLC who had a median follow-up of 72.9 months. The expression of SSEA-4 was related to clinico-pathological characteristics, to the expression of the adult stem cell antigens CD117, CD133 and breast cancer resistance protein 1 (BCRP1), and to prognosis.SSEA-4 was positive in 37% of the specimens and showed no association with clinicopathological characteristics or the expression of adult stem cell antigens. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed a 6.0-fold increased risk of relapse (p50.001) and a 4.2-fold increased risk of disease-related mortality (p50.017) in SSEA-4-positive patients, while SSEA-4-negative patients showed a prognosis comparable with that of other early-stage NSCLC.SSEA-4 is expressed in a fraction of basaloid NSCLC and is associated with poor prognosis.

Exploiting the internalization feature of an antibody against the glycosphingolipid SSEA‐4 to deliver immunotoxins in breast cancer cells

“…It is well known that cancer cells recapitulate traits from normal early embryonic cells. In this connection, SSEA‐4 expression was found in teratocarcinomas, renal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, breast cancer, basaloid lung cancer, epithelial ovarian carcinoma, embryonal carcinoma of the ovaries, pheochromocytoma, prostate cancer and oral cancer . Furthermore, SSEA‐4 is expressed in multiple cancer cell lines, including brain, lung, breast, mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, kidney, cervix, ovarian, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers .…”

Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 as a potential therapeutic target in glioblastoma multiforme and other cancers

“…In the last few years, SSEA-4 expression has been reported on breast cancer cells and breast cancer stem cells (25), basaloid lung cancer (30), epithelial ovarian carcinoma (31), and oral cancer (32). The relationship between the level of SSEA-4 expression and tumor malignancy differs in various types of cancers: The expression of SSEA-4 in basaloid lung cancer is associated with poor prognosis (30), whereas a reduction of SSEA-4 correlates with more advanced tumor stage and tumor cell differentiation in ovarian cancer (31). Here, we examined the expression of SSEA-4 in GBM and found that SSEA-4 is expressed not only in GBM/grade IV astrocytoma but also in ∼55% of grade I, ∼55% of grade II, and ∼60% of grade III astrocytoma.…”

Characterization of stem‐like cancer cells in basal cell carcinoma and its surgical margins

“…Drug resistance not only is a characteristic of malignancies but also considered as one of the features being utilized to define cancer stem‐like cells ever since the CSC hypothesis became a popular explanation to those cases of cancer that recur after medical treatment . In colorectal cancer and leukaemia, conventional chemotherapeutic drug 5‐fluorouracil enriches CSC population .…”