Expression and significance of CD44 and p-AKT in pancreatic head cancer.

Li Xiaoping,Zhang Xiaowei,Guo Weijian,Zheng Leizhen

doi:10.1186/s12957-015-0746-8

Li Xiaoping, Zhang Xiaowei + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-015-0746-8

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Abstract

BackgroundCD44 and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) is a potentially interesting prognostic marker and therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. The expression of CD44 and p-AKT has been reported to correlate with poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer in most literatures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of CD44 and p-AKT in pancreatic head cancer and their correlation with the prognosis of pancreatic head cancer patients.MethodsForty-eight pancreatic head cancer samples were collected dating from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2012. Immunohistochemistry was applied to test the expression of CD44 and p-AKT in pancreatic head cancer. The clinical data of the patients were collected including their gender, age, the histology and location, lymph node metastasis, and so on. The correlation between the CD44 expression and the clinicopathological factors of patients with pancreatic head cancer was analyzed by the software SPSS 13.0.ResultsThe positive rates of CD44 and p-AKT expression in the samples were 64.6 and 29.2 %, respectively. There was a significant difference between the CD44 expression and the pancreatic cancer’ T staging, tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The Cox proportional hazard model showed that CD44 and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors.ConclusionsCD44 was related to the distant metastasis and aggressive malignant behaviors of pancreatic head cancer.

Highlights

CD44 and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) is a potentially interesting prognostic marker and therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer
Immunohistochemistry and assessment Four-micrometer sections of tissue were transferred to an adhesive-coated slide, and our pathologists have reviewed the slides to ensure that the tissues were consistent with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
Clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes By IHC analysis,31 (64.6 %) and 14 (29.2 %) paraffinembedded archival pancreatic tumor tissues showed a positive staining for CD44 and p-AKT (Figs. 1 and 2)

Summary

Introduction

CD44 and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) is a potentially interesting prognostic marker and therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. The expression of CD44 and p-AKT has been reported to correlate with poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer in most literatures. Pancreatic cancer is a digestive tract malignant tumor with poor prognosis because of difficult diagnosis and rapid development, most of them located in the head of pancreas [1]. Most pancreatic head cancer patients have peripancreatic nerve invasion and lymph node metastasis during diagnosis, and 1-year survival rate is less than 20 % [2]. It is necessary to explore the biological index for the early diagnosis and prediction of pancreatic head cancer which present as aggressive and recurrent malignancies.

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