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Michael Goggins

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Goggins.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Epigenetic inactivation of TFPI-2 as a common mechanism associated with growth and invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Using microarrays, we have screened for genes reactivated by drugs that modify epigenetic mechanisms in pancreatic cancer cells. One of the genes identified was tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI-2), which encodes for a broad-spectrum serine proteinase inhibitor that negatively regulates the extracellular matrix degradation, an essential step in tumor invasion and metastasis. We therefore investigated the expression and methylation patterns of the TFPI-2 gene in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and determined its role in tumor growth and invasion. In contrast to its abundant expression in normal pancreas, TFPI-2 mRNA was undetectable in a high fraction of pancreatic cancer cell lines and in primary pancreatic ductal neoplasms (IPMNs). Loss of TFPI-2 expression was associated with aberrant hypermethylation of its promoter CpG island. Treatment with the phorbol ester (PMA), known to stimulate the TFPI-2 promoter activity, augmented the TFPI-2 expression in cell lines with unmethylated or partially methylated TFPI-2, but failed to induce the expression in cell lines that harbored fully methylated TFPI-2. Aberrant methylation of TFPI-2 was also detected in 73% (102/140) of pancreatic cancer xenografts and primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas, was more likely in older patients with pancreatic cancer, and significantly correlated with progression of IPMNs (P=0.0002). Restored expression of the TFPI-2 gene in nonexpressing pancreatic cancer cells resulted in marked suppression in their proliferation, migration, and invasive potential in vitro. We thus conclude that epigenetic inactivation of TFPI-2 is a common mechanism that contributes to the aggressive phenotype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is regulated by DNA methylation in pancreatic cancer.

Despite the biological and clinical importance of the interaction between the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 (SDF-1alpha) in human cancers, little is known about transcriptional regulation of the CXCR4 gene. Although aberrant hypermethylation in cancer has been described typically in genes with tumor-suppressor properties, this epigenetic alteration has also been observed to affect potential cancer-promoting genes. We now demonstrate that DNA methylation influences CXCR4 expression in human pancreatic cancer. Gene expression profiling and reverse transcription-PCR identified a significant proportion of pancreatic cancer cell lines that displayed little or no CXCR4 mRNA expression. Using methylation-specific PCR, combined bisulfite restriction analysis, and bisulfite sequencing, we found the 5' CpG islands of the CXCR4 gene to be unmethylated in normal pancreas, whereas promoter hypermethylation was detected in 45% (9 of 20) of pancreatic cancer cell lines and in 46% (46 of 100) of primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas. There was a significant inverse correlation between methylation and mRNA expression level of CXCR4 (P=0.008) in a large panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines. Constitutive as well as inducible expression of CXCR4 could be restored in methylated cell lines pharmacologically using epigenetic modifying drugs. These findings demonstrate the first evidence for epigenetic regulation of CXCR4 in human cancers, providing new insights into the role of CXCR4/CXCL12 interactions in tumor progression.

Chemokine CXCL12↗
PubMed2005

Homozygous deletion of the MTAP gene in invasive adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and in periampullary cancer: a potential new target for therapy.

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) plays an important role in the salvage pathway for the synthesis of adenosine. Novel chemotherapeutic strategies exploiting the selective loss of MTAP function in cancers have been proposed. The MTAP gene, on chromosome 9p21, is frequently included within homozygous deletions of the p16INK4A/ CDKN2A gene. Biallelic deletions of the p16INK4A/CDKN2A gene are found in 40% of pancreatic cancers, suggesting that the MTAP gene may be frequently inactivated in pancreatic cancer and that selected patients with pancreatic cancer may benefit from therapies targeting this loss. We immunolabeled six xenografted pancreatic cancers with known MTAP and p16INK4A/CDKN2A gene status and found that immunolabeling mirrored gene status. Loss of expression of both MTAP and p16 was observed only in those pancreatic cancers with homozygous deletions that encompassed both the MTAP and p16INK4A/CDKN2A genes. We then immunolabeled a series of 320 microarrayed infiltrating pancreatic adenocarcinomas, 35 biliary adenocarcinomas, 54 ampullary cancers, and 35 noninvasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms. Immunolabeling for MTAP was lost in 91 of the 300 (30%) evaluable pancreatic cancers, 9 of 54 (17%) ampullary cancers, 4 of 33 (12%) biliary cancers, and in 1 of 35 (3%) IPMNs. All neoplasms with loss of MTAP labeling also demonstrated loss of p16 labeling. These results suggest that MTAP expression is lost in approximately 30% of infiltrating pancreatic cancers and in a lower percentage of other periampullary neoplasms, that this loss is the result of homozygous deletions encompassing both the MTAP and p16INK4A/CDKN2A genes. Thus, pancreatic cancer is a promising cancer type in which to explore novel chemotherapeutic strategies to exploit the selective loss of MTAP function.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

Xenografting and harvesting human ductal pancreatic adenocarcinomas for DNA analysis.

Xenotransplantation (xenografting) of primary cancers or cancer cell lines into immunodeficient mice is a commonly used technique to assess tumor growth in response to a variety of experimental agents. When primary pancreatic cancers are xenografted, cancer cells proliferate in the mouse, but the human stroma does not. This growth pattern enables facile genetic analysis of cancer genetics profiles without the contamination of admixed stromal cells typical of primary cancers.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

DNA methylation analysis in human cancer.

Many tumor suppressor genes (such as p16, Rb, VHL, E-cadherin, and hMLH1) that are silenced by mutation are also inactivated by gene silencing through DNA methylation. Characterization of genes hypermethylated in human cancers but not in normal tissues not only provides insights into cancer biology but also permits the use of methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction-based assays that could serve as diagnostic tests for the early detection and early diagnosis of this disease. To this end, research aimed at the identification and characterization of the methylation status of known and candidate tumor suppressor genes is one strategy for finding putative diagnostic markers. This chapter describes several methods of methylation analysis.

DNA Methylation↗
PubMed2005

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in pancreatic cancer using a global proteomic approach.

Proteomics is the term used for the large-scale analysis of proteins in biological fluids or cells by biochemical methods. Two approaches are used for proteomics analysis: two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and a mass-spectrometry-based approach, such as surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization (SELDI). SELDI can be used for large protein profiling or peptide identification after enzymatic digestion. In pancreatic cancer, proteomics analysis can be performed with the aim to identify all differentially expressed proteins in cancer cells vs normal pancreatic cells. Protein profiling of pancreatic juice or serum may also identify biomarkers for pancreatic cancer that could be used as diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. This chapter outlines the use of 2D-PAGE and SELDI for profiling the protein content of pancreatic juice samples and for identifying proteins differentially expressed in pancreatic cancer patient samples compared to control patient samples.

Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional↗
PubMed2004

Differentially expressed genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas identified through serial analysis of gene expression.

Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) is a powerful tool for the discovery of novel tumor markers. The publicly available online SAGE libraries of normal and neoplastic tissues (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SAGE/) have recently been expanded; in addition, a more complete annotation of the human genome and better biocomputational techniques have substantially improved the assignment of differentially expressed SAGE "tags" to human genes. These improvements have provided us with an opportunity to re-evaluate global gene expression in pancreatic cancer using existing SAGE libraries. SAGE libraries generated from six pancreatic cancers were compared to SAGE libraries generated from 11 non-neoplastic tissues. Compared to normal tissue libraries, we identified 453 SAGE tags as differentially expressed in pancreatic cancer, including 395 that mapped to known genes and 58 "uncharacterized" tags. Of the 395 SAGE tags assigned to known genes, 223 were overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, and 172 were underexpressed. In order to map the 58 uncharacterized differentially expressed SAGE tags to genes, we used a newly developed resource called TAGmapper (http://tagmapper.ibioinformatics.org), to identify 16 additional differentially expressed genes. The differential expression of seven genes, involved in multiple cellular processes such as signal transduction (MIC-1), differentiation (DMBT1 and Neugrin), immune response (CD74), inflammation (CXCL2), cell cycle (CEB1) and enzymatic activity (Kallikrein 6), was confirmed by either immunohistochemical labeling of tissue microarrays (Kallikrein 6, CD74 and DMBT1) or by RT-PCR (CEB1, Neugrin, MIC1 and CXCL2). Of note, Neugrin was one of the genes whose previously uncharacterized SAGE tag was correctly assigned using TAGmapper, validating the utility of this program. Novel differentially expressed genes in a cancer type can be identified by revisiting updated and expanded SAGE databases. TAGmapper should prove to be a powerful tool for the discovery of novel tumor markers through assignment of uncharacterized SAGE tags.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Characterization of gene expression in mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas using oligonucleotide microarrays.

Mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) of the pancreas are uncommon neoplasms usually located in the body or tail of the pancreas and usually in females (>90% of cases). Clinically, they are often misdiagnosed as non-neoplastic pseudocysts leading to failed opportunities for curative resection. To better understand the biology of MCNs and to identify markers of the disease, we performed global gene expression profiling of MCNs using oligonucleotide microarrays. Using laser capture microdissection applied to frozen sections, RNA was extracted from the neoplastic epithelium of MCNs, from the adjacent 'ovarian-type' stroma of MCNs, from histologically normal pancreatic ductal epithelium, from pancreatic acinar tissue and from fibrous stroma in pancreata affected by chronic pancreatitis. Each RNA sample was subjected to two rounds of linear amplification followed by hybridization with U133A gene chips (Affymetrix). The expression patterns of selected genes were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR and by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays containing 19 resected MCNs. A total of 114 known genes were overexpressed in the neoplastic epithelium compared to normal pancreatic ductal epithelium (>3-fold) including S100P, PSCA, c-myc, STK6/STK15, cathepsin E and pepsinogen C. Activation of the Notch pathway in the epithelial component of MCNs was evident by the demonstration of overexpression of Jagged1 and the downstream Notch pathway member Hes1. In the 'ovarian-type' stroma, several genes involved in estrogen metabolism were overexpressed including STAR and ESR1 genes. Some of the genes identified as overexpressed in these neoplasms may be useful as markers that can distinguish MCNs from non-neoplastic pancreatic cystic lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Identification of novel highly expressed genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas through a bioinformatics analysis of expressed sequence tags.

In most microarray experiments, a significant fraction of the differentially expressed mRNAs identified correspond to expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and are generally discarded from further analyses. We used careful bioinformatics analyses to characterize those ESTs that were found to be highly overexpressed in a series of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. cDNA was prepared from 60 non-neoplastic samples (normal pancreas [n = 20], normal colon [n = 10], or normal duodenal mucosal [n = 30]) and from 64 pancreatic cancers (resected cancers [n = 50] or cancer cell lines [n = 14]) and hybridized to the complete Affymetrix Human Genome U133 GeneChip(R) set (arrays U133A and B) for simultaneous analysis of 45,000 fragments corresponding to 33,000 known genes and 6,000 ESTs. The GeneExpress(R) software system Fold Change Analysis Tool was used and 60 ESTs were identified that were expressed at levels at least 3-fold greater in the pancreatic cancers as compared to normal tissues. Searches against the human genomic sequence and comparative genomic analysis of human and mouse genomes was carried out using basic local alignment search tools (BLAST), BLASTN, and BLASTX, for identifying protein coding genes corresponding to the ESTs. Subsequently, in order to pick the most relevant candidate genes for a more detailed analysis, we looked for domains/motifs in the open reading frames using SMART and Pfam programs. We were able to definitively map 43 of the 60 ESTs to known or novel genes, and 15 of the ESTs could be localized in close proximity to a gene in the human genome although we were unable to establish that the EST was indeed derived from those genes. The differential expression of a subset of genes was confirmed at the protein level by immunohistochemical labeling of tissue microarrays (inhibin beta A [INHBA] and CD29) and/or at the transcript level by RT-PCR (INHBA, AKAP12, ELK3, FOXQ1, EIF5A2, and EFNA5). We conclude that bioinformatics tools can be used to characterize differentially overexpressed ESTs, and that some of these ESTs may represent diagnostically and therapeutically useful targets that might be missed using data solely from currently annotated databases.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Mac-2-binding protein is a diagnostic marker for biliary tract carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Biliary tract carcinoma is a deadly disease, accounting for nearly 4500 malignancy-related deaths each year in the United States. Early detection has the potential to improve survival for patients with biliary tract malignancies, enabling curative surgical resection. Early detection approaches would benefit from an accurate, minimally invasive diagnostic test. To identify novel diagnostic markers, the authors recently completed a comprehensive proteomic study of bile samples from patients with biliary carcinoma. One of the proteins identified by tandem mass spectrometry was Mac-2-binding protein (Mac-2BP). The authors evaluated the performance of Mac-2BP and its ligand, galectin-3, as diagnostic markers for patients with biliary carcinoma. METHODS: Levels of Mac-2BP, galectin-3, and CA19-9 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in bile samples from patients with biliary tract carcinoma (n = 26), benign biliary conditions (n = 32), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 20). Serum levels of Mac-2BP and galectin-3 also were determined using ELISA. Mac-2BP tissue expression was investigated by immunohistochemical methods using a biliary carcinoma tissue microarray. RESULTS: Biliary Mac-2BP levels were elevated by a factor of approximately 3 in the biliary carcinoma group compared with the group of patients who had PSC or another type of nonneoplastic biliary disease. In contrast, Mac-2BP levels were not elevated in serum samples from patients with biliary carcinoma. According to the immunohistochemical analysis, Mac-2BP was expressed in 34 of 36 patients (94.4%) with biliary tract carcinoma. As a diagnostic marker for biliary carcinoma, Mac-2BP levels were as accurate as biliary CA19-9 levels, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.70 on receiver operator characteristic analysis. The use of both of these bile markers in combination, however, led to significantly better diagnostic accuracy compared with the accuracy achieved using CA19-9 alone (AUC, 0.75; P < 0.001). Serum and biliary galectin-3 levels did not differ in the biliary carcinoma group relative to the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Biliary Mac-2BP levels, especially when used in conjunction with biliary CA19-9 levels, showed promise as a novel diagnostic marker for biliary tract carcinoma.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Gene expression profiling of tumor-stromal interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and stromal fibroblasts.

The interactions between cancer cells and surrounding stroma play a critical role in tumor progression, but their molecular basis is largely unknown. Global gene expression profiling was performed using oligonucleotide microarrays to determine changes in the gene expression of pancreatic cancer cells (CFPAC1) and stromal fibroblasts induced by coculture. This analysis identified multiple genes as differentially expressed in pancreatic cancer cells and in fibroblasts as a consequence of their mutual interactions, including those that encode for proteins associated with tumor invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Among the genes identified, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/PTGS2 gene was of particular interest because COX-2 expression was markedly augmented in both cell types (cancer cells and fibroblasts) in response to coculture. Coculture with fibroblasts also induced COX-2 expression in additional pancreatic cancer cells with an unmethylated COX-2 promoter, but not in those with a methylated COX-2 promoter. Using an in vitro invasion assay, we found an increase in the invasive potential of CFPAC1 cells when they were cocultured with fibroblasts, an effect blocked partially by the addition of a selective COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398, or by COX-2 knockdown with small interfering RNA. Thus, COX-2 inhibitors can decrease the invasive properties of pancreatic cancer cells acquired through tumor-stromal interactions.

Cell Communication↗
PubMed2004

Mesothelin-specific CD8(+) T cell responses provide evidence of in vivo cross-priming by antigen-presenting cells in vaccinated pancreatic cancer patients.

Tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells can potentially be activated by two distinct mechanisms of major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted antigen presentation as follows: direct presentation by tumor cells themselves or indirect presentation by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). However, controversy still exists as to whether indirect presentation (the cross-priming mechanism) can contribute to effective in vivo priming of tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells that are capable of eradicating cancer in patients. A clinical trial of vaccination with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor-transduced pancreatic cancer lines was designed to test whether cross-presentation by locally recruited APCs can activate pancreatic tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells. Previously, we reported postvaccination delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to autologous tumor in 3 out of 14 treated patients. Mesothelin is an antigen demonstrated previously by gene expression profiling to be up-regulated in most pancreatic cancers. We report here the consistent induction of CD8(+) T cell responses to multiple HLA-A2, A3, and A24-restricted mesothelin epitopes exclusively in the three patients with vaccine-induced DTH responses. Importantly, neither of the vaccinating pancreatic cancer cell lines expressed HLA-A2, A3, or A24. These results provide the first direct evidence that CD8 T cell responses can be generated via cross-presentation by an immunotherapy approach designed to recruit APCs to the vaccination site.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗
PubMed2004

Gene expression profiling identifies markers of ampullary adenocarcinoma.

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Without surgical resection, ampullary adenocarcinomas can be difficult to distinguish from ampullary adenomas. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes in ampullary adenocarcinoma in order to identify candidate markers of the disease. The Affymetrix Human Genome U133 GeneChip set (HG-U133A and HG-U133B) was used to obtain gene expression profiles of 5 ampullary adenocarcinomas and 10 normal duodenal samples. Using fold change analysis we identified 235 fragments expressed at least fivefold higher in ampullary cancers than in normal duodenum. The expression profiles of eight candidate overexpressed genes (osteopontin, mesothelin, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1, mucin-1, mucin-5, fascin, heat shock protein 47, fibronectin 1) were confirmed by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays (TMA) containing 54 ampullary adenocarcinomas. One of these genes, osteopontin, was expressed 27-fold higher levels in ampullary adenocarcinomas compared to normal duodenum by genechip analysis. We therefore determined serum osteopontin levels in patients with ampullary neoplasms, patients with other periampullary diseases and in normal controls. Mean preoperative serum osteopontin levels as measured by competitive ELISA were 906 +/- 268 ng/ml in patients with ampullary cancer, 867 +/- 160 ng/ml in patients with an ampullary adenoma, 327.1 +/- 195.6 ng/ml in patients with nonmalignant periampullary diseases and 204 +/- 65 ng/ml in age-matched healthy controls (p < 0.001). Measurement of markers of ampullary cancer such as osteopontin may aid in the early detection and differential diagnosis of patients with periampullary lesions.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Prospective risk of pancreatic cancer in familial pancreatic cancer kindreds.

Individuals with a family history of pancreatic cancer have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Quantification of this risk provides a rational basis for cancer risk counseling and for screening for early pancreatic cancer. In a prospective registry-based study, we estimated the risk of pancreatic cancer in individuals with a family history of pancreatic cancer. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated by comparing the number of incident pancreatic cancers observed with those expected using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) rates. Familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) kindreds were defined as kindreds having at least one pair of first-degree relatives with pancreatic cancer, and sporadic pancreatic cancer (SPC) kindreds as families without such an affected pair. Nineteen incident pancreatic cancers developed among 5,179 individuals from 838 kindreds (at baseline, 370 FPC kindreds and 468 SPC kindreds). Of these 5,179 individuals, 3,957 had at least one first-degree relative with pancreatic cancer and contributed 10,538 person-years of follow-up. In this group, the observed-to-expected rate of pancreatic cancer was significantly elevated in members of FPC kindreds [9.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.5-16.1], but not in the SPC kindreds (1.8; 95% CI., 0.22-6.4). This risk in FPC kindreds was elevated in individuals with three (32.0; 95% CI, 10.2-74.7), two (6.4; CI, 1.8-16.4), or one (4.6; CI, 0.5-16.4) first-degree relative(s) with pancreatic cancer. Risk was not increased among 369 spouses and other genetically unrelated relatives. Risk was higher in smokers than in nonsmokers. Individuals with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer have a significantly increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 as a marker of pancreatic and other periampullary cancers.

PURPOSE: Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma usually present with advanced-stage disease and a dismal prognosis. One effective strategy likely to improve the morbidity and mortality from pancreatic cancer would be the identification of accurate, noninvasive diagnostic markers that would enable earlier diagnosis of symptomatic patients and earlier detection of cancer in asymptomatic individuals at high risk for developing pancreatic cancer. In this study, we evaluated serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) as a marker of pancreatic cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: MIC-1 expression in primary pancreatic cancers, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, and pancreatic cancer cell lines was determined using the National Center for Biotechnology Information serial analysis of gene expression database, oligonucleotide microarrays analysis, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. Serum MIC-1 levels were determined by ELISA in 80 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinomas, in 30 patients with ampullary and cholangiocellular carcinomas, in 42 patients with benign pancreatic tumors, in 76 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and in 97 healthy control subjects. The diagnostic performance of serum MIC-1 as a marker of pancreatic cancer was compared with that of serum CA19-9. RESULTS: Oligonucleotide microarray and serial analysis of gene expression data demonstrated that MIC-1 RNA levels were higher in primary pancreatic cancers, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, and pancreatic cancer cell lines than in nonneoplastic pancreatic ductal epithelium. MIC-1 expression was localized to the malignant epithelium in pancreatic adenocarcinomas by in situ hybridization. MIC-1 protein was expressed in 14 of 16 primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas (88%) by immunohistochemistry and was also expressed in some pancreata affected by pancreatitis but not in normal pancreas. Serum MIC-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mean +/- SD, 2428 +/- 2324 pg/ml) and in patients with ampullary and cholangiocellular carcinomas (2123 +/- 2387 pg/ml) than in those with benign pancreatic neoplasms (940 +/- 469 pg/ml), chronic pancreatitis (1364 +/- 1236 pg/ml), or in healthy controls (546 +/- 262 pg/ml). An elevated serum MIC-1 (defined as 2 SD above the mean for healthy controls) performed as well as CA19-9 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.81 and 0.77, respectively), and the combination of MIC-1 and CA19-9 significantly improved diagnostic accuracy (P < 0.05; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.87; sensitivity, 70%; specificity, 85%). CONCLUSION: Serum MIC-1 measurement can aid in the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Identification of maspin and S100P as novel hypomethylation targets in pancreatic cancer using global gene expression profiling.

DNA hypomethylation is one of the major epigenetic alterations in human cancers. We have previously shown that genes identified as hypomethylated in pancreatic cancer are expressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines, but not in normal pancreatic ductal epithelium and can be reexpressed in nonexpressing cells using 'epigenetic modifying agents' such as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. To identify additional targets for aberrant hypomethylation in pancreatic cancer, we used oligonucleotide microarrays to screen for genes that displayed expression patterns associated with hypomethylation. This analysis identified a substantial number of candidates including previously reported hypomethylated genes. A subset of eight genes were selected for further methylation analysis, and two cancer-related genes, maspin and S100P, were found to be aberrantly hypomethylated in a large fraction of pancreatic cancer cell lines and primary pancreatic carcinomas. Combined treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidie and trichostatin A resulted in synergistic induction of maspin and S100P mRNA in MiaPaCa2 cells where both genes were methylated. Furthermore, there was an inverse correlation between methylation and mRNA expression level for maspin and S100P in a large panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines. We also found a significant difference in the methylation patterns of maspin and two previously identified hypomethylated genes (trefoil factor 2 and lipocalin 2) between pancreatic and breast cancer cell lines, suggesting cancer-type specificity for some hypomethylation patterns. Thus, our present results confirm that DNA hypomethylation is a frequent epigenetic event in pancreatic cancer, and suggest that gene expression profiling may help to identify potential targets affected by this epigenetic alteration.

Calcium-Binding Proteins↗
PubMed2004

Serum diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma using surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization mass spectrometry.

PURPOSE: Each year in the United States, approximately 30,000 people die from pancreatic cancer. Fewer than 5% of patients survive >5 years after diagnosis, because most patients present with advanced disease. Early diagnosis may improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In an attempt to improve on current approaches to the serological diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, we analyzed serum samples from patients with and without pancreatic cancer using surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization (SELDI) protein chip mass spectrometry. Using a case-control study design, serum samples from 60 patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma were compared with samples from 60 age- and sex-matched patients with nonmalignant pancreatic diseases, as well as 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. To increase the number of proteins potentially identifiable, serum was fractionated using anion exchange and profiled on two ProteinChip surfaces (metal affinity capture and weak cation exchange). RESULTS: We determined a minimum set of protein peaks able to discriminate between patient groups and used the unified maximum separability algorithm to compare the performance of the individual marker panels alone or in conjunction with CA19-9. Among the peaks identified by SELDI profiling that had the ability to distinguish between patient groups, the 2 most discriminating protein peaks could differentiate patients with pancreatic cancer from healthy controls with a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 97%. These 2 markers performed significantly better than the current standard serum marker, CA19-9 (P < 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of the 2 markers was improved by using them in combination with CA 19-9. Similarly, a combination of 3 SELDI markers and CA19-9 was superior to CA19-9 alone in distinguishing individuals with pancreatic cancer from the combined pancreatic disease controls and healthy subject groups (P = 0.078). SELDI markers were also better than CA19-9 in distinguishing patients with pancreatic cancer from those with pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: SELDI profiling of serum can be used to accurately differentiate patients with pancreatic cancer from those with other pancreatic diseases and from healthy controls.

Adenocarcinoma↗