Clinicopathological significance of ASC amino acid transporter-2 expression in pancreatic ductal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
ASC amino acid transporter-2 (ASCT2) is highly expressed in cancer cells. However, the clinicopathological significance of ASCT2 expression in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of ASCT2 expression in pancreatic cancer.


RESULTS
Ninety-seven patients with surgically resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were evaluated. Tumour sections were stained by immunohistochemistry for ASCT2, Ki67, CD34 (to determine microvessel density), phospho-AKT (p-AKT) and phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) expression. ASCT2 was expressed in 54% (52/97) of tumours. Statistically significant differences in patient age, T stage, N stage, lymphatic permeation, vascular invasion, Ki67, and CD34 and p-mTOR expression were observed between tumours with and without ASCT2 expression. Multivariate analysis confirmed that vascular invasion, ASCT2 expression and Ki67 expression were independent predictive factors for a poorer prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
ASCT2 expression plays an important role in tumour cell growth, and is a promising pathological marker for predicting a worse outcome in pancreatic cancer.
Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan; Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
Kyoichi
K
Kaira
Yutaka
Y
Sunose
Kazuhisa
K
Arakawa
Noriaki
N
Sunaga
Kimihiro
K
Shimizu
Hideyuki
H
Tominaga
Noboru
N
Oriuchi
Shushi
S
Nagamori
Yoshikatsu
Y
Kanai
Tetsunari
T
Oyama
Izumi
I
Takeyoshi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D026962:Amino Acid Transport System ASC / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
D026962:Amino Acid Transport System ASC; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; C420506:SLC1A5 protein, human
ASCT2; amino acid transporter; pancreatic cancer; prognostic factor