Analysis of c-kit protein expression in pancreatic neoplasms and its implication for prognosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the expression and role of c-kit protein in the neoplasia of pancreatic neoplasms and its relationship to prognosis in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the pancreas.


METHODS
The immunohistochemical expression of c-kit protein was studied in normal pancreatic tissues, intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas (IPMN), mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas (MCN), and IDC of the pancreas. The immunoreactive score (IRS) of c-kit protein expression was examined in normal pancreatic ductal cells, neoplastic cells, and pancreatic endocrine cells.


RESULTS
The IRS values of c-kit protein expression in various neoplastic cells were significantly higher than those in normal ductal cells. No significant difference was seen between IRS values of c-kit protein expression in various pancreatic neoplastic cells of IDC of the pancreas, IPMN and MCN. No significant difference was seen between IRS values of c-kit expression in endocrine cells among various pancreatic tissues. Furthermore, a survival analysis in patients with IDC of the pancreas showed an obvious trend toward decreased survival in patients with c-kit-positive cancer, and c-kit protein expression did not correlate with any clinicopathological factors in IDC of the pancreas.


CONCLUSIONS
c-kit protein expression may play an important role in neoplasia of pancreatic neoplasms. In view of the result that c-kit protein expression was found in 8% of IDC of the pancreas, a clinical trial for STI-571 (Glivec) against pancreatic cancer may be warranted for selected pancreatic cancer patients with c-kit protein expression.
Kimura
Wataru
W
Department of Gastroenterological and General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan. wkimura@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Ma
Jinfeng
J
Takeshita
Akiko
A
Yamamoto
Takashi
T
Moriya
Toshiyuki
T
Hirai
Ichiro
I
Fuse
Akira
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*
D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit