title: Clinicopathological correlations of nestin expression in surgically resectable pancreatic cancer including an analysis of perineural invasion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nestin is considered to be a marker of stem/progenitor cells in different tissues. Nestin expression was also described in various tumors. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), its role in cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastases has been suggested. The study aimed at examining the expression of nestin in PDAC, and to evaluate its clinicopathological correlations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of nestin was immunohistochemically examined in 117 PDAC resection specimens, analyzed, and correlated with clinico-pathological parameters including perineural invasion (PNI). Analysis of nestin expression in nerve fibers in tissues of chronic pancreatitis (CP) was added.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical analysis of nestin expression showed 79 nestin negative (67.5 %) and 38 nestin positive (32.5 %) PDACs. No significant correlations of nestin expression in tumor cells with the analyzed clinicopathological parameters were demonstrated. Tumor grade (p<0.001) and nodal status (p=0.009) proved to represent independent prognostic factors. PNI was identified in 94 PDAC (80.3 %), and did not correlate with nestin expression. Nestin immunostaining was displayed in nerve fibers of both CP and PDAC tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An intimate link of nestin to a biological process of pancreatic cancer was confirmed. The expression of nestin did not prove to be a valuable prognostic factor and an immunohistochemical assessment of nestin expression is not superior to conventional prognostic factors in PDAC. A correlation between nestin expression in tumor cells and PNI was not confirmed and expression of nestin in nerve fibers of both PDAC and CP tissues seems to reflect the process of neural remodeling responsible for pancreatic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathological Anatomy, Medical Faculty of Masaryk University and St. Anne´s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karasek
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jarkovsky
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muckova
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dite
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kala
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veselska
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermanova
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D064231:Nestin; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin