title: Nectin expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: nectin-3 is associated with a poor prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nectins are cell adhesion molecules that regulate the formation of adherens junctions and are linked with E-cadherin-based cell-cell adherens junctions. In pancreatic cancer, the expression of E-cadherin and nectins is considered to be related to metastasis, invasion and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the distribution of cells that were positive for nectin subtypes and E-cadherin using immunohistochemistry in specimens of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and correlated these results with the clinicopathological features and patient outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The immunohistochemical distribution of nectin-1 and E-cadherin showed a good correlation (r = 0.523, p < 0.01). Tumors over 4 cm in diameter had more intense staining for nectin-4 than smaller tumors (p = 0.035). Nectin-2 expression correlated with a poorer histological grade (p = 0.04). The cases that showed diffuse nectin-3 expression had a better prognosis than those with negative expression (p = 0.018).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that the expression of nectin-3 in pancreatic cancer can be a prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan, deehii@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagohri
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075983:Nectins; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C000619010:NECTIN1 protein, human; C000619014:NECTIN3 protein, human; D000075983:Nectins