Expression of DEK in pancreatic cancer and its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis

Background: The oncogene DEK, which was originally identified as part of the protein product of the DEK-CAN fusion oncogene, has been shown to promote tumorigenesis in a variety of cancer cell types. However, little is known about the expression and role of DEK in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is one of the most refractory malignant tumors worldwide and has poor prognosis. Our study aimed to understand the role of DEK in the development and progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Materials and methods: We used western blotting and immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of DEK in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells and tissues. We analyzed the correlation between DEK expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in 163 pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. Results: Protein levels of DEK in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues (76/136, 55.9%) were significantly higher than those in adjacent non-tumor tissues (16.2%, 22/136). A high expression level of DEK was associated with poor prognosis (P<0.001).In addition, the combination of CA19-9 and DEK expression (P<0.001) was a better prognostic indicator than CA19-9 expression alone (P=0.012). Conclusions: DEK may play a significant role as a valuable biomarker in the development and progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The combination of DEK and CA19-9 improves the prognostic prediction in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.