Reduced expression of caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-3 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells

Jakubowska,Katarzyna; Guzińska‑Ustymowicz,Katarzyna; Famulski,Waldemar; Cepowicz,Dariusz; Jagodzińska,Dorota; Pryczynicz,Anna

doi:10.3892/ol.2016.4125

Reduced expression of caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-3 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells

Authors:
- Katarzyna Jakubowska
- Katarzyna Guzińska‑Ustymowicz
- Waldemar Famulski
- Dariusz Cepowicz
- Dorota Jagodzińska
- Anna Pryczynicz
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Affiliations: Department of General Pathomorphology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok 15‑276, Poland, Department of Medical Pathomorphology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok 15‑276, Poland, Department of General Surgery and Gastroenterology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok 15‑276, Poland
Published online on: January 19, 2016 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.4125
Pages: 1879-1884

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Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a rare neoplasm that affects the gastrointestinal system, and is characterized by a high mortality rate. It has been demonstrated that apoptosis has a significant role in the regulation of cancer cells. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to immunohistochemically assess the expression of proteins belonging to the caspase family, namely caspase‑8, pro‑caspase‑3 and cleaved (active) caspase‑3 in pancreatic cancer. The study group consisted of 29 patients exhibiting PDAC. Protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods. The expression of caspase‑8 in normal cells was negative in 17.2% of cases and positive in 82.8% of cases. All cases demonstrated pro‑caspase‑3 expression in normal pancreatic cells, compared with 93.1% of cancer cells. Staining for activated caspase‑3 was positive in 27 normal tissue cases, compared with positivity in only 10 cancer cases. Caspase‑8 expression positively correlated with cleaved caspase‑3 expression in the cytoplasm of cancer cells (P<0.002). Caspase‑3 expression was identified to correlate with inflammatory peritumoral infiltration (P<0.015). No correlation was observed between caspase expression and any other clinicopathological parameters. The results of the present study demonstrated aberrant initiation of cancer cell apoptosis in PDAC via a decrease in caspase‑8 expression, which may lead to disorders in the activation of effector caspase‑3.

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