Class III β-tubulin expression in tumor cells is correlated with resistance to docetaxel in patients with completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationship between in vitro chemosensitivity evaluated by the histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) and the expression of β-tubulin isotypes in tumors of patients with completely resected NSCLC in order to determine the predictive value of β-tubulin in chemotherapy for NSCLC. Methods: Expression of β-tubulin isotypes was immunohistochemically analyzed in a series of 58 tumor samples from patients with completely resected NSCLC. The sensitivity of individual tumors to anticancer agents was evaluated by HDRA. Results: Class III β-tubulin expression by tumor cells was significantly correlated with resistance to docetaxel (p=0.0250), but not related with resistance to gemcitabine. Patient characteristics (age, gender, histology, and stage) were not associated with class III β-tubulin expression. Conclusion: An abundance of class III β-tubulin in tumor cells could be a biomarker for resistance to docetaxel in patients with completely resected NSCLC. © 2009 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.