Premium
Expression of urocortin in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia
Author(s) -
Cheng MingFang,
Tsai WenChiuan,
Hsia KanTai,
Yang YaSung,
Jin JongShiaw
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/apm.12117
Subject(s) - pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia , pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma , adenocarcinoma , intraepithelial neoplasia , medicine , pancreatic carcinoma , cancer research , pancreas , urocortin , oncology , pathology , pancreatic cancer , biology , cancer , prostate , receptor
Urocortin ( UCN ) is a 40‐aminoacid neuropeptide that regulates angiogenesis and inhibits cell proliferation. Our aim was to examine the relationship of UCN expression to the clinicopathological parameters of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma ( PDAC ) and histological grade of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (Pan IN ). Tissue microarray was used to analyze UCN protein expression in 89 surgical specimens including 21 Pan IN , 3 PDAC arising from Pan IN , and 65 PDAC without Pan IN . UCN immunoscores ranging from 0 to 12 were obtained by multiplying intensity (scored on a 3‐point scale) by the percentage of stained cells (scored on a 4‐point scale). Strong expression of UCN was detected in 5 specimens of non‐neoplastic pancreatic ductal epithelia. UCN immunoscore was significantly higher in Pan IN ‐1 than in Pan IN ‐2 and Pan IN ‐3 (p = 0.038) and significantly higher in well‐differentiated PDAC or early American Joint Committee on Cancer ( AJCC ) stage PDAC than in poorly differentiated or advanced stage PDAC (p = 0.025, p = 0.018). Higher expression of UCN correlates with PDAC tumor grade and AJCC pathologic stage as well as Pan IN grade. Immunohistochemical assessment of UCN may help clinicians predict tumor recurrence rate and help pathologists make a proper diagnosis.