Abstract: Background and purpose: Many studies have showed that tumor tissues can up-regulate the content of carbonic anhydrase (CA) at the primary lesion and metastasis, but, Until to now, we still did not know whether tumor tissues could affect the CA content at other non-metastasis tissues. In this study, we should detect the expression levels of CAⅢ and mRNA in the intercostals muscles of patients with chest tumor, to explore the regulation mechanism of CAⅢ in patients with certain disease states. Methods: Intercostals muscle biopsy specimens were obtained from 38 in patients of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University. A total of 10 patients with benign mediastinal tumor, and 12 patients with lung adenocarcinoma were included according to the postoperative pathologic results. Lung adenocarcinoma group was divided into lymph node metastasis group (6 cases) and non-metastasis group (6 cases), anddivided into low differentiatiated carcinoma group (3 cases), moderately differentiatiated carcinoma group (6 cases) and well differentiatiated carcinoma group (3 cases) and 16 cases purely chest trauma also were included as control group. The concentrations quantification of CAⅢ were measured by ELISA methods, the mRNA expression levels of CAⅢ were detected using RT-PCR methods. Results: The concentrations quantification of CAⅢ were remarkably raised in intercostals muscles of lung adenocarcinoma group compared to other two group (P＜0.05)，and the concentrations were tend to be higher in the group of lung adenocarcinoma with lymph node metastasis than the group of non-metastasis (P＜0.05), but there were no significant difference of the concentrations of CAⅢ among each group of low differentiated adenocarcinoma, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and well differentiatiated adenocarcinoma (each P＞0.05). The mRNA expression levels of CAⅢ were remarkably raised in intercostals muscles of lung adenocarcinoma group compared to control group (P<0.01), and the mRNA levels were tend to be higher in the group of lung adenocarcinoma with lymph node metastasis than the group of non-metastasis (P<0.05), but there were no significant difference of the mRNA levels of CAⅢ among each group of low differentiated adenocarcinoma, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and well differentiatiated adenocarcinoma (each P>0.05). The concentrations quantification and mRNA expression levels of CAⅢ in intercostals muscles were positively correlation with patient’s FEV1/Pred% (P<0.05), but there were no significant correlation with patient’s age, BMI, FEV1/FVC%, PaO2 and PaCO2 (P>0.05). This study showed a consistent performance between the mRNA expression levels and concentrations quantification of CAⅢ in intercostals muscles of each group. The higher mRNA expression levels of CAⅢ in intercostals muscles of each group, the higher protein concentrations quantification; and the lower mRNA expression levels of CAⅢ, the lower protein concentration quantification. Conclusion: The concentrations quantification and mRNA expression levels of CAⅢ in intercostals muscles of lung adenocarcinoma group were higher than control group.This study showed a consistent performance between mRNA expression levels and concentrations quantification of CAⅢ in intercostals muscles of each group, it suggested that the regulation of CAⅢ in intercostals muscles of COPD patients might be achieved mainly in the upstream of DNA transcription level, which makes the transcription levels of mRNA and protein expression of CAⅢ abnormal and further affects the state of intercostals muscles function.

Key words: Carbonic anhydrase Ⅲ, Chest tumor, Intercostals muscle