Clinicobiological Significance Of Ezrin Protein Overexpression And Aberrant Localization In Pancreatic Cancers

Objestives:To investigate the localization and clinicopathological significance of Ezrin protein expression in pancreatic cells and cancers, we applied IHC (immunohistochemistry) and IF (Immunofluorescence) methods.Materials and Methods:Total176cases of paraffin-embedded samples including106cases of pancreatic cancers,37cases of adjacent tissues and21cases of normal pancreas tissues from tissue chip, and another12cases of pancreatic cancers. We detected Ezrin protein expression in pancreatic cancers, adjacent tissues and normal pancreas tissues by IHC to analyse the climcobiological significance of its expression level and abnormal location. Additionally, to confirm with IHC result the localization of Ezrin protein in Panc-1cells was observed by IF.Result:The immunohistochemical analysis revealed that Ezrin is widely distributed in the cytoplasm, a small number of cases showed cell membrane staining and perinuclear localization.The expression of Ezrin protein was negative in normal pancreas tissues. But it was positive in adjacent serial tissues of pancreatic cancer (14/37,37.8%) in which strong positive rate was (3/37,8.1%). Ezrin protein was positive in pancreatic cancers (87/106,82.1%), in which the strong positive rate was (73/106,68.9%), significant differences. In106cases of pancreatic cancers, the overexpression of Ezrin protein was significantly correlated with the metastasis of pancreatic cancers. The expression of Ezrin protein was up to93.1%, significantly higher than tumor of not metastatic tissue (59.7%)(P<0.01); For the TNM clinical stages, the expression of Ezrin protein in advanced pancreatic tissue (Ⅲ-Ⅳ) was up to90.4%, it is significantly higher than early pancreatic cancer (Ⅰ-Ⅱ level)(48.1%)(P<0.01);Additionally, the expression of Ezrin protein in pancreatic cancer tissues that tumor diameter>3cm (77.6%) was significantly higher than the diameter<3cm tumor tissue (55.3%). However, Ezrin protein expression level was not correlated with the patient age, gender, differentiation, Ki-67protein, and pancreas calcification point (P>0.05). Also, Immunofluorescence staining showed that, in Panc-1pancreatic cancer cells, Ezrin protein is mainly located at the cytoplasm and cell membrane, consistent with the results of immunohistochemistry.Conclusions:Ezrin protein played an important role in the progression of pancreatic cancer. The overexpression of Ezrin protein has closely relationship with lymphonode metastasis, tumor size and clinical stage. In summary, its abnormal location and overexpression indicate the poor progression of pancreatic cancer.