BACKGROUNDTo study the correlation between the intensity of facilitative glucose transporter(GLUT1) expression and prognosis in stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSEighty-seven specimens were immunohistochemically stained using an antibody against GLUT1 antigen, and the intensity of GLUT1 expression was assessed by computer image analysis system in NSCLC with pathologic stage I and II.

RESULTSEighty-one cases of NSCLC (93.1%) were GLUT1 positive. The intensity of GLUT1 expression (optic density) was significantly higher in lymph node metastasis positive group than that in negative group ( 0.340 7 ±0.070 3 vs 0.276 5±0.082 4, P < 0.05). The patients with high GLUT1 expression ( > 0.298 1 ) had significantly lower survival time than those with low GLUT1 expression (≤ 0.298 1 )(P < 0.05 ).

CONCLUSIONSGLUT1 is closely correlated with the prognosis of NSCLC patients in stage I and II.