BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the correlations of Twist expression with pathological and computed tomography (CT) characteristics and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We enrolled 120 patients with lung cancer who underwent CT examination. The Twist protein expression level was detected in 120 cases of cancer tissues and a control group using immunohistochemical method. The survival curve was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed via log-rank test.

RESULTS: The Twist expression was associated with tumor stage, differentiation degree, and presence or absence of lymph node metastasis, but had no correlations with sex, age, or histological type. Grade-3 bronchial involvement, pleural indentation, and hilar and mediastinal lymph node enlargement occurred more frequently in the high-expression Twist group compared with the low-expression Twist group. The overall survival rate of patients with Twist overexpression was significantly lower than that of patients with normal Twist expression. The mean survival time was 69.8 months in Twist protein expression-negative patients and 45.8 months in Twist protein expression-positive patients. Finally, the positive expression of Twist protein was significantly correlated with the long-term survival and prognosis of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The Twist gene might be involved in the occurrence and development of NSCLC, which is correlated with patient prognosis.

Keywords: Pathological Conditions, Anatomical, Biomarkers, Tumor, Risk Factors, Survival Rate, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Twist-Related Protein 1