Diagnostic Value Of Ape/ref-1 Gene In Early Stage Of Pancreatic Carcinoma

Effective new markers of pancreatic carcinoma are urgently needed. In this study, we evaluate the potential contribution of APE/ref-1 to pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to the interpretation of pancreas FNAs. APE/ref-1 mRNA expression was evaluatedusing RT-PCR, whereas APE protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. APE/ref-1mRNA expression was confirmed in 17 of 18 resected primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas and in 4 of 4 pancreatic cancer cell lines;There were lowed APE/ref-lmRNA expression in 18 adjacent normal pancreatic tissues.The positive expression of APE/ref-1 was 87.5%(35/40) in pancreatic cancer tissues. Among them 20%(7/35) was expressed only in APE/ref-1 nuclei, 17.1%(6/35) only in cytoplasm, and 62.9%(22/35) was expressed in nuclei and cytoplasm simultaneously. APE/ref-1 expressed in cytoplasm of pancreatic islet cells beside tumor in 6 cases. In pancreatic carcinoma most of APE/ref-1 expressed in nuclei and cytoplasm, and normal pancreas tissues, APE/ref-1 was positive in cytoplasm of pancreatic islet cells but negative in pancreatic duct cells and acini. For EUS-FNA specimens, APE/ref-1 labeling was seen in 15 of the 19 patients ultimately shown to have carcinoma and was absent in 7 of the 8 benign lesions. 6 of the 7 cases labeled for APE/ref-1.APE/ref-1 gene appears to be almost universally overexpressed in pancreatic cancer tissues. Immunohistochemical labeling of APE/ref-1 appears highly specific for pancreatic adenocarcinoma in FNA specimens and useful in categorizing cytologically suspicious lesions.