Differential c-erbB-1 and c-erbB-2 mRNA expression in cancer of the pancreas compared with cancer of the papilla of Vater.
OBJECTIVE
We examined quantitative mRNA expression of growth factor receptors (c-erbB-1, c-erbB-2) and the anti-apoptosis gene survivin known to be regulated in pancreatic adenocarcinomas and compared the expression pattern with that in carcinomas of the papilla of Vater.


METHODS
Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (QRT-PCR, Taqman) was performed to analyze mRNA expression levels of c-erbB-1, c-erbB-2 and survivin in normal and corresponding tumor samples of 31 pancreatic adenocarcinomas and 8 cancers of the papilla of Vater.


RESULTS
The overall median mRNA expression of survivin was significantly increased in both adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (P<0.01) and papilla of Vater (P<0.008) compared with uninvolved normal control tissue. In pancreatic cancer, expression of c-erbB-1 was significantly decreased compared with the normal pancreatic tissue (P<0.03), whereas in the cancer of the papilla of Vater expression of c-erbB-2 was significantly downregulated (P<0.05) compared with the paired normal samples. Gene expression was not associated with tumor stage, differentiation or prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The common anti-apoptosis gene survivin is overexpressed both in the cancer of the papilla of Vater and pancreas. In contrast, the growth factor receptor genes c-erbB-1 and c-erbB-2 are differentially regulated in both tumor entities adding further evidence that pancreatic cancer is biologically different from the cancer of papilla of Vater.
Department of Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931 Cologne, Germany. klausprenzel@hotmail.com
Klaus L
KL
Prenzel
Ute
U
Warnecke-Eberz
Jan
J
Brabender
Stephan E
SE
Baldus
Elfriede
E
Bollschweiler
Christian A
CA
Gutschow
Uta
U
Drebber
Arnulf H
AH
Hoelscher
Paul M
PM
Schneider
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014670:Ampulla of Vater; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D000077022:Survivin
D066246:ErbB Receptors; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000077022:Survivin; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human