Prognostic value of immunohistochemical expression of beta-1 integrin in pancreatic carcinoma

Background: Prognostically relevant factors based on the histological assessment of the resected pancreas are known. However, the knowledge of additional factors associated with the prognosis is helpful in planning the therapy for an individual patient. beta(1) Integrin expression is known to have a prognostic influence in some malignant tumors, No data are, however, available on the prognostic value of beta(1) integrins in pancreatic carcinoma. Method: We investigated paraffin-embedded specimens of 19 patients undergoing surgical treatment for periampullary carcinoma and of 42 patients for ductal pancreatic carcinoma by immunohistochemistry to assess the expression pattern and the prognostic impact of beta(1) integrins. Neither histomorphological parameters nor the survival time of the patients were known at the time of the investigation. Results: No correlation was;established between histomorphological parameters and beta(1) integrin expression in periampullary or ductal pancreatic carcinoma, respectively. Patients with periampullary carcinoma and beta(1) integrin overexpression had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients without overexpression of beta(1) integrins (median survival: 18.3 vs. 58.4 months). In ductal pancreatic carcinoma beta(1) integrin expression had no influence on prognosis. Conclusion: beta(1) Integrins exert an influence on prognosis in periampullary carcinoma but not in ductal pancreatic carcinoma. However, further investigations in larger patient samples are required to confirm these results.