Clinical Significance of Snail, Hypoxia-induced Factor-1α and E-cadherin Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Their Correlations

Objective To explore the clinical significance of Snail, hypoxia-induced factor-1α(HIF- 1α) and E-cadherin protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) and their correlations. Methods Expression of Snail, HIF-1α and E-cadherin protein were detected by immunohistochemical method in 62 cases of lung cancer tissues and 20 cases of paracancerous tissues. Correlations among these proteins and clinical pathological parameters were analyzed. Results Positive expression rates of Snail, HIF-1α and E-cadherin in lung cancer tissues were 64.5%，59.7% and 54.8%, respectively. In paracancerous tissues, they were 15%, 10% and 100%. The differences of these proteins expression were significant between lung cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues(P<0.05). Decreased E-cadherin expression and increased Snail and HIF-1α expression were correlated with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05). The E-cadherin expression was negatively correlated with HIF-1α and Snail expression(all P<0.05). No correlation was between HIF-1α and snail expression(P>0.05). Conclusion Increased Snail and HIF-1α expression and decreased E-cadherin expression are correlated with arcinogenesis, progression and metastasis of lung cancer. Snail, HIF-1α and E-cadherin may be used as markers for evaluating malignance degree and prognosis of lung cancer．