Increased lysyl oxidase‐like 2 associates with a poor prognosis in non‐small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) is a member of the lysyl oxidase family and is associated with invasiveness and metastasis in breast cancer. However, its relevance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remained largely unknown. METHODS: LOXL2 protein levels in a cohort of NSCLC and adjacent normal lung tissues were evaluated and analyzed their clinicopathologic and prognostic significance. RESULTS: It was found that cytoplasmic and nuclear LOXL2 levels were higher in lung adenocarcinoma (AD) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues than in paired adjacent normal tissues. High LOXL2 levels were associated with p-TNM stage, and cytoplasmic, but not nuclear, LOXL2 levels were an independent prognostic factor in lung AD and SCC patients. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that elevated LOXL2 levels are positively associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. LOXL2 might, therefore, serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in NSCLC patients.