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Using Microarrays to Interrogate Microenvironmental Impact on Cellular Phenotypes in Cancer
Published on: May 21, 2019
E‑cadherin is downregulated by microenvironmental changes in pancreatic cancer and induces EMT
Weibin Wang1, Liangbo Dong1, Bangbo Zhao1
1Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Dongcheng, Beijing 100730, P.R. China.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to research the effect of microenvironmental change on epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) in pancreatic cancer cells and to determine the correlation between E‑cadherin expression and the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. We established hypoxic, serum‑deficient and TGF‑β‑induced microenvironment models of pancreatic cancer cells and studied the changes in the mRNA and protein expression of EMT‑related molecules, E‑cadherin and vimentin, using western blot analysis and real‑time PCR. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry was used to investigate E‑cadherin expression in pancreatic cancer tissues, and survival analysis and COX regression analysis were conducted. In pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxic, serum‑starved and TGF‑β‑induced microenvironments, E‑cadherin protein and mRNA levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05), while vimentin protein and mRNA expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the protein level of E‑cadherin in pancreatic cancer tissues was positively correlated with overall survival (P<0.01). The results of Cox regression analysis showed that E‑cadherin was an independent prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer. In conclusion, E‑cadherin expression was significantly decreased by microenvironment changes, and this decrease induced EMT in pancreatic cancer cells. E‑cadherin is an independent prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer patients.
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