Gene expression profiles of non-small cell lung cancer: survival prediction and new biomarkers

Objectives: Despite the well-defined histological types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a given stage is often associated with wide-ranging survival rates and treatment outcomes. This disparity has led to an increased demand for the discovery and identification of new informative biomarkers. Methods: In the current study, we screened 81 NSCLC samples using Illumina® whole-genome gene expression microarrays in an effort to identify differentially expressed genes and new NSCLC biomarkers. Results: We identified novel genes whose expression was upregulated in NSCLC, including SPAG5, POLH, KIF23, and RAD54L, which are associated with mitotic spindle formation, DNA repair, chromosome segregation, and dsDNA break repair, respectively. We also identified several novel genes whose expression was downregulated in NSCLC, including SGCG, NLRC4, MMRN1, and SFTPD, which are involved in extracellular matrix formation, apoptosis, blood vessel leakage, and inflammation, respectively. We found a significant correlation between RNA degradation and survival in adenocarcinoma cases. Conclusions: Even though the follow-up time was too limited to draw final conclusions, we were able to show better prediction p values in a group selection based on molecular profiles compared to histology. The current study also uncovered new candidate biomarker genes that are likely to be involved in diverse processes associated with NSCLC development.