Background/aims: Tumors generally progress due to disruption in the balance between cellular proliferation and apoptosis. Thus, regulators of these processes tend to have altered expression in tumors, making them useful diagnostic and prognostic markers in the clinic. Here, we explored the potential usefulness of proteins involved in each of these processes, Smac (apoptosis) and Ki-67 (proliferation), in pancreatic cancer.
Methodology: We collected 35 pancreatic cancer samples and 12 normal pancreas samples and applied immunohistochemistry and pathology to determine the expression of these two proteins and their correlation with clinicopathology of the tumors.
Results: Both Smac (35/35) and Ki-67 (33/35) were significantly more highly expressed in pancreatic tumors than in normal pancreas (1/12 and 2/12, respectively; p<0.05). However, no correlation was detected between Smac and Ki-67 expression in these tumors. Importantly, Smac expression was correlated only with pathological grade (p<0.05), while Ki-67 expression was correlated with pathological grade, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The higher expression of Smac and Ki-67 appear to play a role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. Combined detection of these proteins may improve the prognostic evaluation of this disease.