Background: Cell--cell adhesion molecules such as desmosomes and cytokeratins may play a major role in epithelial--mesenchymal transition and have been suggested to have a relevant impact on tumour progression. This study investigated 15 biomarkers in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and correlated the results with clinicopathological parameters.
Methods: Tissue microarrays of 115 R0-resected PDAC were constructed to evaluate the protein expression of 15 in genome-wide expression profiling differentially expressed biomarkers.
Results: At the protein level a high expression of desmocollin 2 (DSC2) was observed in 90.4%, DSC1 (67.6%), DSC3 (0.9%), MDM2 (16.2%), CEA (64.8%), CK7 (85.2%), CK8 (96.5%), CK18 (96.5%), CK19 (93.9%), CK20 (11.5%), CA19-9 (86.6%), TLE1 (8.7%), PITX1 (91.2%), factor H (95.7%) and mesothelin (9.6%). Reduced expression of DSC2 was statistically correlated with shorter patient survival, higher tumour grading and positive lymph node status (p=0.008, p=0.029, p=0.011, respectively). In multivariable analysis reduced expression of DSC2, higher tumour grading and positive lymph node status were independently correlated with shorter patient survival.
Conclusions: Reduced expression of DSC2 is independently correlated with shorter patient survival, higher tumour grading and positive lymph node status in PDAC and could serve as a prognostic marker.