Evaluating the prognostic value of Wnt signaling pathways in non-small cell lung cancer patients

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is frequently deregulated in various malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of genes encoding ligands that are typically associated with the non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathways, specifically, WNT-4, WNT-5A, WNT-7A, WNT-11, and WNT-16 in NSCLC.

The analysis was conducted on 80 matched pairs of tumor and adjacent non-cancerous lung tissues. Quantitative gene expression analysis was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

The results revealed a consistent reduction in the expression of all investigated genes across NSCLC samples and their respective histological subtypes. Notably, elevated WNT-7A gene expression was observed between clinical early (IA) and intermediate IIA stages of NSCLC.

These findings suggest that alterations in the expression of non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway ligands are integral to lung carcinogenesis and may play a critical role in the development of NSCLC. The observed changes in WNT-7A expression between IA and IIA stages of NSCLC further indicate its potential involvement in tumor progression.