Table 2.
Association between Plk1 expression levels and clinicopathological parameters of NSCLC patients.
| Patient characteristic | Plk1 mRNA expression | Plk1 protein expression | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD | P-value | Negative/weak | Moderate | Strong | P-value | |
| Tissue | ||||||
| Control sample | 1.51 ± 0.70 | 0.007 | 16 (100%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | < 0.001 |
| Tumor sample | 5.73 ± 4.40 | 33 (34.7%) | 32 (33.7%) | 30 (31.6%) | ||
| Age | ||||||
| < 60 years | 5.23 ± 3.79 | 0.368 | 21 (63.6%) | 12 (37.5%) | 13 (43.3%) | 0.084 |
| > 60 years | 6.21 ± 4.91 | 12 (36.4%) | 20 (62.5%) | 17 (56.7%) | ||
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 6.06 ± 4.58 | 0.379 | 22 (66.7%) | 22 (68.8%) | 20 (66.7%) | 0.979 |
| Male | 5.03 ± 4.00 | 11 (33.3%) | 10 (31.3%) | 10 (33.3%) | ||
| Smoking behavior | ||||||
| Non-smoker | 2.51 ± 1.34 | 0.001 | 3 (12.0%) | 2 (7.1%) | 2 (7.1%) | 0.772 |
| Smoker | 5.89 ± 4.50 | 22 (88.0%) | 26 (92.9%) | 26 (92.9%) | ||
| Clinical stage | ||||||
| I | 5.69 ± 4.63 | 0.812 | 15 (45.5%) | 12 (37.5%) | 16 (53.3%) | 0.666 |
| II | 5.09 ± 3.21 | 8 (24.2%) | 10 (31.3%) | 7 (23.3%) | ||
| III | 6.20 ± 4.98 | 9 (27.3%) | 8 (25.0%) | 4 (13.3%) | ||
| IV | 7.17 ± 6.21 | 1 (3.0%) | 2 (6.3%) | 3 (10.0%) | ||
| Tumor classification | ||||||
| T1 | 5.88 ± 5.11 | 0.949 | 8 (24.2%) | 9 (28.1%) | 13 (43.3%) | 0.289 |
| T2 | 5.91 ± 4.08 | 14 (42.4%) | 14 (43.8%) | 10 (33.3%) | ||
| T3 | 5.16 ± 4.04 | 9 (27.3%) | 5 (15.6%) | 7 (23.3%) | ||
| T4 | 6.15 ± 4.62 | 2 (6.1%) | 4 (12.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| N0 | 5.63 ± 4.36 | 0.959 | 23 (69.7%) | 22 (68.8%) | 20 (66.7%) | 0.999 |
| N1 | 6.02 ± 4.51 | 6 (18.2%) | 6 (18.8%) | 6 (20.0%) | ||
| N2 | 5.83 ± 4.91 | 4 (12.1%) | 6 (20.0%) | 4 (13.3%) | ||
| M0 | 5.63 ± 4.34 | 0.513 | 32 (97.0%) | 29 (90.6%) | 27 (90.0%) | 0.496 |
| M1 | 6.98 ± 5.40 | 1 (3.0%) | 3 (9.4%) | 3 (10.0%) | ||
| Metastasis during follow-up | ||||||
| No | 6.13 ± 4.60 | 0.426 | 17 (51.5%) | 15 (46.9%) | 18 (60.0%) | 0.577 |
| Yes | 5.26 ± 4.16 | 16 (48.5%) | 17 (53.1%) | 12 (40.0%) | ||
| Differentiation | ||||||
| Poor | 8.13 ± 5.46 | 0.004 | 8 (24.2%) | 8 (25.0%) | 10 (33.3%) | 0.779 |
| Moderate | 5.63 ± 3.65 | 10 (30.3%) | 13 (40.6%) | 10 (33.3%) | ||
| Well | 3.90 ± 3.07 | 15 (45.5%) | 11 (34.4%) | 10 (33.3%) | ||
Upper row: Plk1 expression in control samples versus tumor samples. Other rows: associations between Plk1 expression in tumor samples and clinicopathological parameters of NSCLC patients. Relative Plk1 mRNA expression levels were calculated according to the Ct method of the qbasePLUS software and plotted against normal tissue. For Plk1 protein expression, an IRS score was calculated by multiplying the staining intensity score and % positive cells group. Cases were grouped as Plk1 negative (IRS 0), weak Plk1 positive (IRS 1-3), moderate Plk1 positive (IRS 4-6) or strong Plk1 positive (IRS 7-12).