Pancreas duodenal homeobox-1 expression and significance in pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To study the correlations of Pancreas duodenal homeobox-1 with pancreatic cancer characteristics, including pathological grading, TNM grading, tumor metastasis and tumor cell proliferation.


METHODS
Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect PDX-1 mRNA expression in pancreatic cancer tissue and normal pancreatic tissue. The expression of PDX-1 protein was measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was also used to detect proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Correlations of PDX-1 with pancreatic cancer characteristics, including pathological grading, TNM grading, tumor metastasis and tumor cell proliferation, were analyzed by using c2 test.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemistry showed that 41.1% of pancreatic cancers were positive for PDX-1 expression, but normal pancreatic tissue except islets showed no staining for PDX-1. In consistent with the result of imunohistochemistry, Western blot showed that 37.5% of pancreatic cancers were positive for PDX-1. RT-PCR showed that PDX-1 expression was significantly higher in pancreatic cancer tissues than normal pancreatic tissues (2(-3.56 +/- 0.35) vs 2(-8.76 +/- 0.14), P < 0.01). Lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), TNM grading (P < 0.05), pathological grading (P < 0.05) and tumor cell proliferation (P < 0.01) were significantly correlated with PDX-1 expression levels.


CONCLUSIONS
PDX-1 is re-expressed in pancreatic cancer, and PDX-1-positive pancreatic cancer cells show more malignant potential compared to PDX-1-negative cells. Therefore, PDX-1-positive cells may be tumor stem cells and PDX-1 may act as alternate surface marker of pancreatic cancer stem cells.
Liu
Tao
T
Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Gou
Shan-Miao
SM
Wang
Chun-You
CY
Wu
He-Shui
HS
Xiong
Jiong-Xin
JX
Zhou
Feng
F
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein