We analyzed Lunx mRNA expression in patients with MPEs. There were 112 patients diagnosed with MPE including 106 pulmonary carcinoma and 6 extrapulmonary carcinoma patients. All of the Lunx-positive patients were diagnosed with pulmonary carcinoma, and all of the Lunx-negative patients were diagnosed with extrapulmonary carcinoma (Table 3). The positive predictive value for Lunx was 100%. Changes in Lunx mRNA expression were associated with the

response of patients to chemotherapy The 82 patients who accepted chemotherapy underwent Lunx detection before and after the first chemotherapy session. The learn more relationship between the change in Lunx mRNA expression and the response to chemotherapy was evaluated. The standard therapeutic selleck chemicals SB273005 in vivo effect was measured according to the WHO criterion [17]. Following chemotherapy, 12 patients had complete remission (CR), 48 patients had partial remission (PR), 10 patients had no change (NC), and 12 patients had progressive disease (PD). The Lunx expression decreased after the first session of chemotherapy in the CR and PR groups

(P = 0.028, P < 0.001, respectively), there was no change in the NC group (P = 0.912), and there was an increase in the PD group (P = 0.023) (Figure 4). Figure 4 Lunx mRNA expression in the pleural fluid before and after the first chemotherapy session. Pleural fluid samples from 82 patients were collected before and after treatment and divided into the CR, PR, NC, and PD groups. Copy numbers less than 103 copies/ml were considered negative. When the copy number of Lunx mRNA was not detectable, the results were shown as number undetected. CR: complete remission, n = 12; PR: partial remission, n = 48; NC: no change, n = 10; PD: progressive disease, n = 12. Changes in direction of Lunx mRNA expression were associated with the overall survival of patients Overall survival is the best

index to confirm the effectiveness of Orotidine 5′-phosphate decarboxylase therapy. Change in Lunx mRNA expression were associated with the responses of patients to chemotherapy. Therefore, it was important to assess whether the change in Lunx mRNA expression was associated with the overall survival of patients. The patients who accepted chemotherapy were divided into two groups according the direction of change in Lunx mRNA expression: increased Lunx mRNA expression group and decreased Lunx mRNA expression group (Figure 5). Two patients with negative Lunx expression both before and after treatment were excluded from the analysis. There were 6 censored data (1 lost and 5 survival) in the increased Lunx mRNA expression group, and 3 censored data (2 lost and 1 survival) in the decreased Lunx mRNA expression group. The median overall survival was 53 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI] 44.003–61.997) in the increased Lunx mRNA expression group, and it was 25 weeks (95% CI 15.807–34.