title: Prognostic significance of autophagy-related protein expression in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autophagy is a critical intracellular pathway for the removal of aggregated proteins and damaged organelles. The aim of this study was to explore the contribution of autophagy-related proteins to clinical outcomes of patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of 5 autophagy-related proteins in the PDAC tissues of 73 patients was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using a tissue array method. In addition, clinicopathological characteristics and survival were compared with the expression of autophagy-related proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 73 patients, autophagy-related protein expression frequencies were 49.3% (36/73) for Atg5, 63.9% (46/72) for Ambra1, 47.9% (35/73) for beclin-1, 83.3% (60/72) for LC3B, and 69.9% (51/73) for Bif-1. The correlation between the expressions of autophagy-related proteins was significant for all protein pairs. Advanced T stage was marginally associated with a higher number of protein changes (P = 0.059). Multivariate analysis revealed that beclin-1 overexpression and increases in the alteration of autophagy-related proteins were independently associated with poor prognosis (hazard ratio of 5.365, P = 0.001 and hazard ratio of 5.270, P = 0.022, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The acquisition of autophagy-related proteins is associated with poor clinical outcome in PDAC. The detection and inhibition of autophagy offers a potential therapeutic target for PDAC.
authors: Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Uijeongbu St Mary's Hospital, Catholic University, Uijeongbu-si, South Korea.
authors: Yoon Ho
authors: YH
authors: Ko
authors: Young-Seok
authors: YS
authors: Cho
authors: Hye Sung
authors: HS
authors: Won
authors: Eun Kyoung
authors: EK
authors: Jeon
authors: Ho Jung
authors: HJ
authors: An
authors: Soon Uk
authors: SU
authors: Hong
authors: Jin Hee
authors: JH
authors: Park
authors: Myung Ah
authors: MA
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy; D000071187:Autophagy-Related Protein 5; D000071186:Beclin-1; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: C553334:AMBRA1 protein, human; C502778:ATG5 protein, human; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D000071187:Autophagy-Related Protein 5; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; C502070:MAP1LC3B protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C429293:SH3GLB1 protein, human