Figure 4

Fas-associated death domain protein release is correlated with cancer aggressiveness. (A–C) Fas-associated death domain protein release by human NSCLC is positively correlated with the presence of vascular emboli and the lymph node invasion. (A) For 26 patients of the cohort, the level of released FADD is correlated with the presence (+, n=22) or absence (−, n=4) of vascular emboli. For other patients, histopathological report gave no information on the presence or absence of emboli. (B and C) Levels of released FADD determined in Figure 2B were reanalysed after the 50 NSCLC patients were classified according to their lymph node invasion status. Each diamond represents a patient biopsy (T in black, NT in white). Bars represent the mean value. n represents the number of patients; one patient with N3 NSCLC is not represented. P values were determined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (B). Histograms represent the mean released FADD value ±s.e.m. of biopsies from N0 (n=23) and N+ (n=26) patients (C). P values were determined using the Mann–Whitney test (A, C). Abbreviation: NS=not significant.