S100A11, a putative tumor suppressor gene, is overexpressed in pancreatic carcinogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
Recent microarray analyses revealed that expression of S100A11 is up-regulated in pancreatic cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of S100A11 with pancreatic carcinogenesis.


METHODS
We measured S100A11 mRNA expression in various clinical samples related to pancreatic cancer and its precursor lesions, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR.


RESULTS
Levels of S100A11 were significantly higher in pancreatic cancer (n=22) and IPMN (n=18) bulk tissues than in nonneoplastic bulk tissues (n=22; P<0.0001 for both). Levels of S100A11 did not differ between pancreatic cancer and IPMN bulk tissues. In microdissection analyses, however, IPMN cells (n=21) expressed significantly higher levels of S100A11 than did cancer cells (n=23; P=0.003). The median level of S100A11 expression was higher in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia cells (n=6) than in cancer cells. In pancreatic juice analyses, cancer-related (n=24; P=0.004) and IPMN-related (n=18; P=0.001) juice expressed significantly higher levels of S100A11 than did chronic pancreatitis-related juice (n=23).


CONCLUSIONS
The present data suggest that expression of S100A11, a putative tumor suppressor gene, is increased in the early stage of pancreatic carcinogenesis and decreased during subsequent progression to cancer. Analysis of the S100A11 level in pancreatic juice may be an effective tool for screening of patients with high-risk lesions that could progress to pancreatic cancer or detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer.
Ohuchida
Kenoki
K
Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Mizumoto
Kazuhiro
K
Ohhashi
Seiji
S
Yamaguchi
Hiroshi
H
Konomi
Hiroyuki
H
Nagai
Eishi
E
Yamaguchi
Koji
K
Tsuneyoshi
Masazumi
M
Tanaka
Masao
M
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D010189:Pancreatic Juice / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009418:S100 Proteins; C072337:S100A11 protein, human