E‑cadherin is downregulated by microenvironmental changes in pancreatic cancer and induces EMT

  • Authors:
    • Weibin Wang
    • Liangbo Dong
    • Bangbo Zhao
    • Jun Lu
    • Yupei Zhao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 27, 2018     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2018.6528
  • Pages: 1641-1649
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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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September-2018
Volume 40 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Wang W, Dong L, Zhao B, Lu J and Zhao Y: E‑cadherin is downregulated by microenvironmental changes in pancreatic cancer and induces EMT. Oncol Rep 40: 1641-1649, 2018.
APA
Wang, W., Dong, L., Zhao, B., Lu, J., & Zhao, Y. (2018). E‑cadherin is downregulated by microenvironmental changes in pancreatic cancer and induces EMT. Oncology Reports, 40, 1641-1649. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2018.6528
MLA
Wang, W., Dong, L., Zhao, B., Lu, J., Zhao, Y."E‑cadherin is downregulated by microenvironmental changes in pancreatic cancer and induces EMT". Oncology Reports 40.3 (2018): 1641-1649.
Chicago
Wang, W., Dong, L., Zhao, B., Lu, J., Zhao, Y."E‑cadherin is downregulated by microenvironmental changes in pancreatic cancer and induces EMT". Oncology Reports 40, no. 3 (2018): 1641-1649. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2018.6528