EEF1A2 and ERN2 could potentially discriminate metastatic status of mediastinal lymph node in lung adenocarcinomas harboring EGFR 19Del/L858R mutations

Abstract

Background: Early data has indicated that EGFR 19Del mutation and EGFR L585R mutation are two different types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, how the different molecular mechanisms participate in the process of mediastinal lymph node metastasis (MLNM) in lung adenocarcinoma (LA) harboring EGFR 19Del and EGFR L858R mutation remains unknown. We thus explored the genes responsible for MLNM in LA with EGFR 19Del or L858R mutation.

Methods: We performed transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis from 10 patients with LA resection specimens of primary tumors. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to validate gene expressions.

Results: There were 69 mRNAs upregulated and 100 mRNAs downregulated in five samples with MLNM compared with samples without MLN metastasis. EEF1A2 and ERN2 were observed exhibiting different expression patterns in EGFR 19Del and EGFR L858R samples with MLNM. In samples harboring EGFR 19Del mutation, the expression of EEF1A2 gene in samples with MLNM was significantly lower compared with samples without MLN metastasis, and in samples with EGFR L858R, it was significantly higher in samples with MLNM. The expression pattern of ERN2 was opposite to EEF1A2. In addition, several other genes including SLC6A11, IGHV3-48, IGHV3-43, DUSP9, and HOXA9 were also shown to be associated with invasion and metastasis and exhibited an expression pattern similar to EEF1A2 and ERN2 in EGRF 19Del and L858R mutation tumors.

Conclusions: EEF1A2 and ERN2 were for the first time observed exhibiting distinct expression patterns in MLNM in lung adenocarcinomas harboring EGFR 19Del and EGFR L858R mutation by interindividual DEGs analysis.

Key points: Significant findings of the study In our study, we focused on the mechanisms of metastasis and invasion that different EGFR mutations conferred and identified two critical genes separately involved in this process in EGFR 19Del and L858R mutation tumors. What this study adds Our findings not only reinforced theoretical foundations that the EGFR 19Del and L858R mutation tumors should be considered as two kinds of diseases, but also laid the fundamentals for precise determination of the mediastinal lymph node radiation field and improvement of clinical outcome.

Keywords: Differentially expressed genes; epidermal growth factor receptor; lung adenocarcinomas; mediastinal lymph node metastasis; transcriptome sequencing.