title: Heterogeneous expression of cholecystokinin and gastrin receptor in stomach and pancreatic cancer: An immunohistochemical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin (Gs) are a well known trophic factor for the gastrointestinal tract and their trophic effects are shown mainly toward pancreas and stomach, respectively. Though, the exact characterization of CCK and Gs receptors subtype (cholecystokinin type A receptor [CCKAR] and cholecystokinin type B receptor/gastrin receptor [CCKBR/GR]) in stomach cancer (SC) and pancreatic cancer (PC) is still controversial and necessities further validation.
  
  
  METHODS
  CCKAR and CCKBR/GR expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 55 SC, 25 benign gastric diseases (BGDs), 38 PC (including periampullary carcinoma), and 10 normal pancreatic tissue. The results were statistically correlated with the patient's clinical history to observe the prognostic significance if any.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CCKAR expression was detected in 18.2% of SC, 20% of BGD, 65.8% of PC, and 30.0% of normal pancreas tissue samples. The CCKBR/GR expression was detected in 58.2% of SC, 48.0% of BGD, 18.4% of PC, and 60.0% of normal pancreas tissue samples. CCKBR/GR expression was significantly high in well and moderately differentiated SC samples as compared to poorly differentiated samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed significantly higher expression of CCKAR and down regulation of CCKBR in PC as compared to control while CCKBR/GR was detected in majority of SC samples. Thus, our study suggests that CCK and Gs receptors may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications. However, study need to be validated in significantly bigger sample size and need to be replicated in different cohorts.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-749, Korea; Department of Surgical Oncology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, .
authors.forename: Rajani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Jong Joo
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mallika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tewari
authors.forename: Hari Shankar
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shukla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D043887:Receptor, Cholecystokinin B / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011949:Receptors, Cholecystokinin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005755:Gastrins; D043887:Receptor, Cholecystokinin B; D011949:Receptors, Cholecystokinin; D002766:Cholecystokinin