Surgical resection of lung cancer inhibits mRNA expression of GOT2 gene encoding kynurenine aminotransferase in leukocytes

Introduction and objective: Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumour. More than 80% of all diagnosed cases are non-small cell carcinoma which can be effectively treated by radical resection. Despite significant progress in the field of diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the results of lung cancer treatment are still unsatisfactory. Lung cancer is detected relatively late, which leads to an unfavourable prognosis. Kynurenine aminotransferases are an important element of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism, which has recently aroused great interest from the aspect of possible use as a target point of personalized therapies in malignant tumours.The aim of the study was to analyze the expression of the selected gene of kynurenine aminotransferases GOT 2 at the mRNA level in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with lung cancer.

Material and methods: The mRNA expression of the GOT 2 gene was tested on blood samples from 50 patients treated surgically for non-small cell lung cancer.The control group consisted of 15 healthy individuals.The determination of mRNA expression of the GOT 2 gene was performed using the real-time PCR method.The GAPDH gene was used as the endogenous reference level.

Results: The mRNA expression of the GOT2 gene on the 6th day after surgery was statistically significantly lower than before surgery (p = 0,05). In the study group, the average LogRQ mRNA expression of the GOT2 gene before the procedure was 0.192082±0.292174 in woman. This was statistically significantly higher than in men whose average LogRQ mRNA expression of the GOT2 gene before the procedure was 0.004210±0.235065 (p=0.0183).

Conclusions: Surgical resection of lung cancer results in inhibition of GOT2 mRNA expression in leukocytes. Further studies are expected to show whether it may be used as a target point for personalized therapies in lung cancer.