Objective  This study aims to investigate the protein expression of coxsackie-virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in partial subtypes of pulmonary adeno-carcinoma, as well as its expression with clinico-pathological factors and prognosis.

  Methods  CAR expression was immunohistochemically assessed in 137 cases of lung cancer with bronchiole-alveolar carcinoma (PWBF) features, and analyzed in relation to various clinico-pathological parameters. All data were analyzed using SPSS statistics software, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed. A Log-rank test was also conducted.

  Results  The CAR positive rates in PWBF, other types of lung cancer, and normal lung tissue were 71.5%, 50.0%, and 13.3%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In addition, a statistically significant difference was observed between the positive expression of CAR and other clinico-pathologic parameters, such as pathological type and histological differentiation. No statistical significance was observed in other parameters, such as gender, age, smoking, and tumor diameter. Patients with CAR positivity were characterized by longer survival times than the others; however, this difference did not reach statistical significance.

  Conclusion  CAR is related to the occurrence and development of lung cancer, especially PWBF. The higher expression of CAR in PWBF for gene therapy with adenovirus vectors opened a broader space. The conspicuous regulation of CAR may be reliable evidence and may bright future for the gene therapy of other types of lung cancer.