Expression levels of ERCC1 and RRM1 mRNA and clinical outcome of advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: We conducted a study to understand the genetic effect of ERCC1 and RRM1 on the chemotherapy response and clinical outcome of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: The relative cDNA quantification for ERCC1 and RRM1 was conducted using a fluorescence-based real-time detection method among 294 NSCLC patients.

Results: Compared with the internal reference gene β-action, the median levels of ERCC1 and RRM1 expression were 2.43×10-2 and 0.11×10-2, respectively. Our study showed response to platinum-containing regimen chemotherapy was high in those with high ERCC1 expression, and the OR (95% CI) were 1.73(1.06-2.81). An apparently high response to chemotherapy was decreased when patients were carrying both high expression of ERCC1 and RRM1, with OR (95% CI) of 2.57(1.21-4.90). Patients with high expression of ERCC1 were associated with a longer OS by multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Moreover, those carrying both high levels of ERCC1 and RRM1 were seem to have a longer OS when compared with those with low expression (HR=0.31, 95% CI=0.13-0.62 for OS).

Conclusion: This observation could be used in personalized chemotherapy, increase the response rate and prolonged survival time, and could encourage to explore the predictive value of other genes.