Increased resistance to Doxorubicin in human non-small-cell lung carcinomas with metallothionein expression.

Ninety-four human non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) of previously untreated patients were analyzed for the presence of metallothionein (MT) expression by means of immunohistochemistry. Of the tumors investigated, expression of MT was detected in 63%. The expression of MT was correlated with the results of doxorubicin resistance of the tumors in vitro. A significant relationship between MT expression and doxorubicin resistance was found (p=0.01). Significant correlations also exist between MT and P-glycoprotein or glutathione-S-transferase-pi expression respectively (p<0.005).