Overexpression of c-met in the early stage of pancreatic carcinogenesis; altered expression is not sufficient for progression from chronic pancreatitis to pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate c-met expression during early pancreatic carcinogenesis.


METHODS
We used 46 bulk tissues and 36 micro-dissected samples, including normal pancreas, chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer, for quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
In bulk tissue analyses, pancreatic cancer tissues expressed significantly higher levels of c-met than did chronic pancreatitis and normal pancreas tissues. c-met levels did not differ between chronic pancreatitis and normal pancreas tissues. In microdissection-based analyses, c-met was expressed at higher levels in microdissected pancreatic cancer cells and pancreatitis-affected epithelial cells than in normal ductal epithelial cells (both, P < 0.01). Interestingly, pancreatitis-affected epithelial cells expressed levels of c-met similar to those of pancreatic cancer cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of c-met occurs during the early stage of pancreatic carcinogenesis, and a single alteration of c-met expression is not sufficient for progression of chronic pancreatitis-affected epithelial cells to pancreatic cancer cells.
Yu
Jun
J
Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Ohuchida
Kenoki
K
Mizumoto
Kazuhiro
K
Ishikawa
Nami
N
Ogura
Yasuhiro
Y
Yamada
Daisuke
D
Egami
Takuya
T
Fujita
Hayato
H
Ohashi
Seiji
S
Nagai
Eishi
E
Tanaka
Masao
M
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met