[Expression of hedgehog proteins in periampullary cancer].
OBJECTIVE
Hedgehog protein is an essential molecule for gastrointestinal tract development, and disruption of hedgehog signaling pathway is linked to some gastrointestinal tumorigenesis. Here, we performed hedgehog immunostaining in periampullary cancer to evaluate the differences according to the location type of cancer and the differentiation of adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
We retrieved surgical specimens from 43 periampullary cancer patients (15 ampulla of Vater cancer, 12 distal common bile duct cancer, 13 pancreatic head cancer, and 3 combined ampulla of Vater/bile duct cancer). Immunohistochemical stain was performed in both normal and cancerous tissue portions of each case using Sonic hedgehog (H-160) rabbit polyclonal antibody. Immunohistochemical stain results were grouped into three groups according to the percentage of positive cytoplasmic stain in tumor volume (unstained: <5%, weakly stained: 5-50%, and strongly stained: >50%).


RESULTS
All of the normal tissue revealed negative immunohistochemical stain while cancerous tissue revealed positivity in 95.3% (41/43 cases). Strongly stained cases were more frequently seen in ampulla of Vater cancers (13/15) and in combined ampulla of Vater/bile duct cancers (3/3) than in distal common bile duct cancers (4/12) and in pancreatic head cancers (3/13) (p=0.002). In addition, strongly stained cases were more frequently seen in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma than the others (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the periampullary cancers show hedgehog protein expression. In addition, hedgehog protein immunostainings shows stronger expression in ampulla of Vater cancers and in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma.
Lee
Sun Young
SY
Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Kyu Taek
KT
Jang
Kee Taek
KT
Choi
Seong Ho
SH
Heo
Jin Seok
JS
Kim
Dong Hee
DH
Lee
Jong Kyun
JK
Paik
Seung Woon
SW
Rhee
Jong Chul
JC
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*
D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; C509239:SHH protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators