Abstract: To investigate the expression of Pannexin1 (Panx1) in human non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), and to analyze the clinical significance of Panx1 expression. Methods Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of Panx1 mRNA in 25 NSCLC and matched paracancerous samples. The expressions of Panx1 protein were detected by immunohistochemical staining in 30 samples of NSCLC and matched paracancerous tissues, and 10 samples of normal lung tissues. The relationship between its expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed.Results The expression levels of Panx1 mRNA and Panx1 protein were significantly higher in NSCLC than those in adjacent tissues (P＜0.05). There were no significant differences in positive expression rates of Panx1 between different age,gender, pleural invasion and pathological grading groups of NSCLC patients (P＞0.05). The positive expression rate of Panx1 was higher in the TNM clinical stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ group than that in the Ⅰ-Ⅱ group. The positive expression rate of Panx1 was significantly higher in the lymph node metastasis group than that in the no lymph node metastasis group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Panx1 is highly expressed in NSCLC tissues, but low in normal lung tissues or adjacent tissues, suggesting that Panx1 may play an important role in the occurrence, development and metastasis of NSCLC.

Key words: Pannexin1, Non-small cell lung cancer, Immunohistochemistry