Direct real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) using the convex probe endobronchial ultrasound (CP-EBUS) is a relatively new minimally-invasive and accurate technique for preoperative staging of NSCLC patients. Tissues obtained by EBUS-TBNA allow further analyses to be carried out and may help directing NSCLC patients to molecularely-based different therapies. The objective for this work was to investigate the feasibility of EBUS-TBNA for obtaining nodal tissue samples that can be utilized for IHC analysis. Patients with pN2-NSCLC were enrolled. Mediastinal LN specimens obtained by EBUS-TBNA in those patients underwent IHC staining for the expression of 6 cell cycle-related proteins (pRb, cyclin D1, p16, p53, p21, and Ki-67). Results revealed that immunohistochemical staining was feasible in all mediastinal nodal tissue samples. All the examined cases showed an abnormal expression of at least one of the studied 6 cell cycle proteins. In conclusion, EBUS-TBNA is an effective tool, not only for staging of LC, but also for obtaining mediastinal nodal tissue samples amenable for further evaluation.

Associate Professor of Pulmonary Medicine. Department of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. Areas of interest: bronchoscopy, interventional pulmonology, molecular biology of lung cancer, sleep medicine, lung cancer, research in pulmonary medicine.