[Artemin and GFRalpha3 expressions and their relevance to perineural invasiveness and metastasis of pancreatic carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of artemin and GFRalpha3 expressions with perineural invasion and metastasis of pancreatic carcinoma.


METHODS
Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of artemin and GFRalpha3 in pancreatic carcinoma tissues, adjacent tissues and normal pancreas tissues, and the relevance of artemin and GFRalpha3 expressions to the perineural invasion and metastasis of pancreatic carcinoma were analyzed.


RESULTS
The positivity rates of artemin and GFRalpha3 expressions were 72.09% and 67.44% in pancreatic carcinoma, respectively, significantly higher than those in the adjacent tissue (18.19% and 22.73%). The positivity rates of artemin and GFRalpha3 expressions were significantly higher in patients with perineural invasion than in those without perineural invasion (chi(2)=11.11 and 11.78, respectively, P<0.01). Significantly higher expression of artemin mRNA was noted in pancreatic carcinoma (0.741-/+0.014) than in the normal pancreas tissue (0.101-/+0.031, P<0.05), and patients with perineural invasion showed significantly higher positivity rates of artemin mRNA expression (0.843-/+0.012) than those without perineural invasion (0.512-/+0.017, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Artemin and GFRalpha3 expressions may play an important role in perineural invasion of pancreatic carcinoma and can be used a useful indicators for evaluating the biological behavior of pancreatic carcinomas.
Zhu
Dong-Liang
DL
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
Luo
Di-Lai
DL
Luo
Gang
G
Wang
Bo
B
Gao
Ji-Min
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
C490886:ARTN protein, human; C494993:GFRA3 protein, human; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins