title: Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 level does not predict prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation including gemcitabine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gemcitabine is a key drug for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) is a major transporter responsible for gemcitabine uptake into cells. This study was conducted to elucidate the association between expression level of hENT1 and outcome for pancreatic cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy including gemcitabine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by curative surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas were included. Immunohistochemistry was performed using resected specimens and the staining intensity of hENT1 was scored as having no staining, low staining, or high staining; the former two were defined as negative expression of hENT1. The association between expression level of hENT1 and overall survival was evaluated by Cox proportional regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression level of hENT1 was evaluated as positive in 22 (35%) patients, and as negative in 41 (65%) patients. Univariate analysis showed that regional lymph node metastasis, vascular permeation, and perineural invasion are prognostic factors; however, expression level of hENT1 did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate analysis showed only vascular permeation as a prognostic factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression level of hENT1 was not associated with prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients who were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation including gemcitabine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari, Osaka, 537-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Satoaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohigashi
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomita
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D033721:Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D033721:Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1; C438649:SLC29A1 protein, human; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; D000093542:Gemcitabine