title: Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, neuroendocrine tumours and chronic pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Angiogenesis is a crucial event for pancreatic carcinogenesis, and it also plays an important role in chronic pancreatitis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in chronic inflammatory or malignant pancreatic pathology in order to elucidate the differences in expression patterns and potential clinical implications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients who had undergone endoscopic ultrasonography followed by endoscipic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of focal pancreatic masses were included in the study. VEGF and EGFR mRNA expression levels in the samples collected by EUS-FNA were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF expression was detected in all chronic pancreatitis and adenocarcinoma samples and in only 62.5% of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. EGFR expression was detected in only 40% of the chronic pancreatitis cases, 76.9% of adenocarcinomas and in 50% of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Both VEGF and EGFR mRNA levels were significantly higher in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma than those in normal tissue. VEGF expression inversely correlated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma size, while EGFR expression was related to local invasiveness of adenocarcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both VEGF and EGFR mRNA expression in EUS-FNA samples may be used as a diagnostic marker associated with invasiveness in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Radu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Angelescu
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania ; Laboratory of Human Genomics University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Florin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burada
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania ; Laboratory of Human Genomics University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Angelescu
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Dan Ionut
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Gheonea
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Sevastița
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iordache
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania ; Laboratory of Human Genomics University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Francisc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mixich
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania ; Laboratory of Human Genomics University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Mihai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ioana
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Craiova 200638, Romania.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Săftoiu
keywords: endoscopic ultrasound; epidermal growth factor receptor; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor; vascular endothelial growth factor