title: N34S, a pancreatitis associated SPINK1 mutation, is not associated with sporadic pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The SPINK1 mutation N34S is associated to chronic pancreatitis of idiopathic, alcoholic and tropic origin. Our aim was to evaluate its prevalence in patients with sporadic pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The N34S allele of SPINK1 was analyzed by melting curve analysis using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes and the LightCycler in 159 German patients with sporadic pancreatic cancer (83 male, 76 female, median age of diagnosis 61 years, range 36-84 years) and 492 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The N34S mutation was detected in 2 (1.3%) of the 159 patients with pancreatic cancer and in 8 (1.6%) of the 492 controls (not significant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The N34S mutation of SPINK1 appears not to be a distinct genetic risk factor in patients with sporadic pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Teich
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böhmig
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Keim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D014359:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014359:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic