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. 2023 Sep 15;15(18):4586.
doi: 10.3390/cancers15184586.

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of the Expression of Specific Membrane Antigens in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Alberto Nicoletti  1 , Federica Vitale  1 , Giuseppe Quero  2 , Mattia Paratore  1 , Claudio Fiorillo  2 , Marcantonio Negri  1 , Angela Carlino  3 , Frediano Inzani  3 , Antonio Gasbarrini  1 , Sergio Alfieri  2 , Lorenzo Zileri Dal Verme  1
Affiliations

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of the Expression of Specific Membrane Antigens in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Alberto Nicoletti et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

(1) Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies. The lack of validated disease biomarkers makes timely diagnosis challenging in most cases. Cell membrane and surface proteins play a crucial role in several routes of oncogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of six membrane antigens on PDAC (CA 19-9, mucin 1 and 4 (MUC1, MUC4), mesothelin (MSLN), Annexin A10 (ANXA10), Glypican-1 (GPC-1)) and their correlation with oncologic outcomes. (2) Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for CA 19.9, MUC1, MUC4, MSLN, ANXA10, and GPC-1 of surgical samples of 50 consecutive patients with PDAC was performed. Antigen expression for tumor, ductal, and acinar tissues was classified according to the histo-score (H-score) by two pathologists. (3) Results: Recurrence rate was 47% and 18 patients (36%) deceased (median follow-up 21.5 months). Immunostaining for CA 19-9 and MUC1 showed a significantly higher expression in the neoplastic tissue compared to non-tumor ductal and acinar tissues (p < 0.001). MUC4, MSLN, ANXA10, and GPC-1 were selectively expressed in the neoplastic tissue (p < 0.001). A CA 19-9 H-score value >270 was independently associated with a worse overall survival (p = 0.05) and disease-free survival (p = 0.05). (4) Conclusions: CA 19-9 and MUC1 are highly expressed in PDAC cells. The histological expression of CA 19-9 may predict prognosis. MUC4, MSLN, ANXA10, and GPC-1 are selectively expressed by neoplastic tissue and may represent a potential histological biomarker of disease.

Keywords: Annexin A10; CA 19-9; Glypican-1; MUC; immunohistochemistry; membrane biomarkers; mesothelin; pancreatic cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MUC1 expression for each H-score category: (A) 0, (B) 1+, (C) 2+, (D) 3+.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mesothelin expression for each H-score category: (A) 0, (B) 1+, (C) 2+, (D) 3+.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Glypican-1 expression for each H-score category: (A) 0, (B) 1+, (C) 2+, (D) 3+.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of antigen expression between tumor, acini, and ducts: (A) CA 19-9, (B) MUC1, (C) MUC4, (D) mesothelin, (E) Annexin A10, (F) Glypican-1.
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