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Lipocalin-2 is Associated With a Good Prognosis and Reversing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Cancer

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Abstract

Background

Lipocalin-2 is a multifaceted modulator in cancer progression. Its clinical significance is not clear in pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether lipocalin-2 is associated with good prognosis by reversing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Lipocalin-2, E-cadherin, or vimentin expression was detected in 60 pancreatic adenocarcinoma specimens. Correlations between lipocalin-2 expression and EMT, the clinicopathologic characteristics, and prognosis were investigated. Whether pancreatic cancer cells’ migration and invasion (some characteristics of EMT) were affected by lipocalin-2 was also explored.

Results

High lipocalin-2 expression was significantly associated with a good prognosis in pancreatic cancer (p < 0.05). Overexpression of lipocalin-2 correlated with a lower extent of EMT (p < 0.05), increased E-cadherin expression (p < 0.05), decreased vimentin expression (p < 0.05), and reduced cancer cell migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer.

Conclusions

Lipocalin-2 may be considered an epithelial inducer, which may reverse EMT and predict a good prognosis in pancreatic cancer.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81001007), the Program for Young Excellent Talents in Tongji University (2008KJ060), and Youth Fund of the Shanghai 10th People’s Hospital (10RQ105).

Conflict of interest

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepato-biliary-pancreatic Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 301 Yanchang Road, Shanghai, 200072, China

    Bin Xu

  2. Department of General Surgery, Zhong Shan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Da-Yong Jin, Wen-Hui Lou & Dan-Song Wang

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  1. Bin Xu
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  2. Da-Yong Jin
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  3. Wen-Hui Lou
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  4. Dan-Song Wang
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Correspondence to Bin Xu or Dan-Song Wang.

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Xu, B., Jin, DY., Lou, WH. et al. Lipocalin-2 is Associated With a Good Prognosis and Reversing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Cancer. World J Surg 37, 1892–1900 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-013-2009-6

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