title: Immunohistochemical examination of cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors (CCK-2/gastrin-R) expression in normal and exocrine cancerous human pancreatic tissues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluating tissue samples of normal and exocrine cancerous human pancreas on the expression of CCK2/gastrin receptor. We performed an immunohistochemical protocol that allows efficient detection of this receptor in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty (20) paraffin blocks of pancreatic tissue sections were collected from the Departments of pathology, Central University Hospital of Sidi-bel-Abbes City (Western Algeria) for the period 2004-2013; ten (10) of them were normal pancreatic samples; and ten (10) cancerous pancreatic sections. The samples were studied using an immunohistochemical protocol for CCK-2/gastrin receptors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CCK-2/gastrin receptors were expressed in both normal and malignant pancreatic cells but with different immunoreactivity levels and different immunostaining intensity i.e., CCK-2/gastrin receptors were highly expressed within the cytoplasmic area of cancerous cells; 40% of the samples had an immunoreactivity (IR) of (+++) and 60% (++++); the immunostaining was as well very intense since we reported a dark brown staining of the malignant cells. However; in normal pancreatic tissues; CCK-2/gastrin receptors IR levels were very low; 80% of the samples had an IR of (+); and 20% had (++) and the immunostaining was less intense; we noted a light brown staining of few normal pancreatic cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The gastrointestinal peptides CCK could be very interesting targets for exocrine pancreatic cancer therapies; thus further surveys such as western blotting and RTPCR could indentify CCK-2/gastrin receptors as a helpful biomarker for exocrine pancreatic cancer diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria. Electronic address: mayflowerboat@live.fr.
authors.forename: Feriel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sellam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria; Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Proteomics and Health, Algeria.
authors.forename: Noria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harir
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Méghit B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Khaled
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Nesrine M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Mrabent
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hassani Abdelkader University Hospital, Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Houria
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belkralladi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hassani Abdelkader University Hospital, Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria; Laboratory of Environment and Cancer, Algeria.
authors.forename: Abdelnacer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Mustapha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Rachida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salah
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moulessehoul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D043887:Receptor, Cholecystokinin B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D043887:Receptor, Cholecystokinin B
keywords: CCK-2/gastrin-R; Cholecystokinin; Expression; G protein couped receptors; Immunohistochemistry; Pancreatic cancer