title: Expression of vitamin D receptor as a potential prognostic factor and therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common among patients with pancreatic carcinoma, but epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent results for vitamin D intake/circulation level and pancreatic cancer risk. The study aims were to investigate the effects of vitamin D on patient survival, and the proliferation or survival of pancreatic cancer cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present study examined the local expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in pancreatic normal and tumour tissues from a cohort of 61 patients, and analysed the potential correlation between VDR and pathological characteristics, including disease prognosis. Among 61 pairs of normal and tumour specimens, VDR was detected in all normal tissues, and was abundantly expressed in 62.5% (15/24) of tumour tissues with high differentiation, but had a significantly lower or undetectable expression level in 75.7% (28/37) of tissues with moderate or low differentiation (P = 0.004). Moreover, high VDR expression was detected in 63.6% (14/22) of small tumours (≤25 mm) and in only 25.6% (10/39) of large tumours (>25 mm) (P = 0.06). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that a low level of VDR expression in tumour tissues was associated with a poor prognosis (P = 0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VDR expression could be a potential prognostic factor for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and its effects should be examined in a prospective study. Vitamin D analogues may provide a therapeutic choice for patients with high VDR expression in tumours but a low vitamin D level in the circulation.
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Kewei
authors: K
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Weiwei
authors: W
authors: Sheng
authors: Department of General Surgery, People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China.
authors: Qingfeng
authors: Q
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Dongyang
authors: D
authors: Yu
authors: Department of General Surgery, People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China.
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Pathology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Qingchang
authors: Q
authors: Li
authors: Department of Pathology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Junqiang
authors: J
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; C579457:VDR protein, human; D002117:Calcitriol; C078903:seocalcitol
keywords: pancreatic cancer; prognosis; vitamin D receptor