INCREASED EXPRESSION OF ADAM8 IN HUMAN PANCREATIC CANCER: IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

Osinsky S.P., N.V. Valkovskaya, J. Kleeff, H. Friess

AAM is one of the members of a family of transmembrane proteins which implicated in cell- cell interaction, proteolysis of membrane proteins, and various aspects of carcinogenesis. The aims of the present study was evaluate the expression of AAM in pancreatic cancer. Immunohistochemistry was performed to localize AAM in pancreatic tissues. AAM was localized on the plasma membrane of ductal cells and was less expressed in islets and acinar cells in the normal pancreas. In PAC tissues, AAM was moderately to strongly present in cancer cells and tubular complexes. There was a tendency toward better survival of PAC patients exhibiting weak/moderate AAM staining (median survival: 20 months), in comparison to patients exhibiting strong AAM staining in pancreatic cancer cells (mediane survival: 14 months; p = 0.065). In conclusion, the increase of expression and functional activity of AAM influences pancreatic cancer cell migration, invasion and metastatic activity.