Figure 4. Analysis of HOXA11 hypermethylation in primary non-small cell lung cancer.

(A) Promoter hypermethylation of HOXA11 was analyzed in paraffin-embedded tissues from 317 NSCLC patients using methylation-specific PCR. Patient identification numbers are indicated. “Pos” represents the positive controls for the methylated (M) and unmethylated (U) allele. Negative control samples without DNA were included for each PCR. (B) Expression of Ki-67 was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Figures show representative examples of positive expression of Ki-67 in adenocarcinoma (left) and squamous cell carcinoma (right). (C) Ki-67 proliferation index was compared according to methylation statuses of HOXA11. Error bars indicate standard error. (D) The prevalence of HOXA11 hypermethylation was calculated across pT lesion. HOXA11 hypermethylation showed a significant association with pT lesion (P = 0.002). (E & F) The adjusted hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for death (E) and recurrence (F) are illustrated across pathologic stage, after controlling for potential confounding factors.