Affiliations: [a] Research Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China | [b] Department of Pathology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China | [c] Department of Pathology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Zhulin Yang, Research Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China. Tel.: +86 731 88187376; Fax: +86 731 84898168; E-mail:yangzhulin8@sina.com
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Approximately 80% of patients with pancreatic ductal
adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have metastatic disease with poor prognosis, but
clinically available markers have not yet been identified. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the expression of B2M and ALK7 in
106 PDACs compared to precursor lesions of the pancreas. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect B2M and ALK7 protein
expression. RESULTS: Positive B2M expression was significantly higher, while positive
expression of ALK7 was significantly lower in PDAC than in precursor lesions
(p < 0.01 or p < 0.001). Positive B2M expression was also significantly
higher, while positive ALK7 expression was significantly lower in cases with
well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, small tumor mass, no-metastasis of the
lymph node, no-invasion of regional tissues, and TNM I or II stage disease
than in cases having poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma, large tumor mass,
with metastasis and invasion, and TNM stage III or IV stage disease (p <
0.01). Univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that B2M overexpression (p <
0.001), but lack of ALK7 expression (p < 0.001) was significantly associated
with shorter overall survival. Cox multivariate analysis showed that
differentiation, tumor mass, lymph node metastasis, invasion, TNM stage, and
B2M levels negatively correlated with overall survival. In contrast, ALK7
level positively correlated with overall survival. Positive B2M and negative
ALK7 expression are poor prognostic factors in PDAC patients. CONCLUSIONS: B2M and ALK7 might be important biological markers involved in
the carcinogenesis, metastasis, invasion, and prognosis of PDAC.
