Overexpression of Caspase-1 in adenocarcinoma of pancreas and chronic pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the expression of Caspase-1(interleukin-1beta converting enzyme) and its role in adenoma of the pancreas and chronic pancreatitis.


METHODS
The expression of Caspase-1 was assessed in 42 pancreatic cancer tissue samples, 38 chronic pancreatitis specimens, and 9 normal pancreatic tissues by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.


RESULTS
Overexpression of Caspase-1 was observed in both disorders, but there were differences in the expression patterns in distinct morphologic compartments. Pancreatic cancer tissues showed a clear cytoplasmatic overexpression of Caspase-1 in tumor cells of 71% of the tumors, whereas normal pancreatic tissues showed only occasional immunoreactivity. In chronic pancreatitis, overexpression of Caspase-1 was found in atrophic acinar cells (89%), hyperplastic ducts (87%), and dedifferentiating acinar cells (84%). Although in atrophic cells a clear nuclear expression was found, hyperplastic ducts and dedifferentiating acinar cells showed clear cytoplasmic expression. Western blot analysis revealed a marked expression of the 45 kDa precursor of Caspase-1 in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis (80% and 86%, respectively). Clear bands at 30 kDa, which suggested the p10-p20 heterodimer of active Caspase-1, were found in 60% of the cancer tissue and 14% of the pancreatitis tissue specimens, but not in normal pancreatic tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of Caspase-1 is a frequent event in pancreatic disorders and its differential expression patterns may reflect two functions of the protease. One is its participation in the apoptotic pathway in atrophic acinar cells and tumor-surrounding pancreatitis tissue, the other is its possible role in proliferative processes in pancreatic cancer cells and hyperplastic duct cells and dedifferentiating acinar cells in chronic pancreatitis.
Yang
Yin-Mo
YM
Department of Surgery, The First Teaching Hospital, Health Science Center, Beijing University, Beijing 100034, China. yangyinmo@263.net
Ramadani
Marco
M
Huang
Yan-Ting
YT
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012016:Reference Values
D020170:Caspase 1