EXPRESSION OF THE LAMININ γ2 CHAIN IN PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA

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Abstract
Forty‐two pancreatic adenocarcinomas were investigated immunohistochemically and by in situ hybridization for the expression of the laminin γ2 chain. In 41 cases, intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity for the γ2 chain was seen. Positive tumour cells were located especially at the epithelial–stromal interface of the tumour cell islands. In 22 cases, diffuse laminin γ2 chain immunoreactivity could also be seen in stroma and in seven cases, occasional positivity was detected in the neoplastic basement membranes. Signals for laminin γ2 chain mRNA in tumour cells displayed a distribution similar to that observed on immunohistochemistry. There were significantly more cases with less than 20 per cent of laminin γ2 chain‐positive tumour cells in tumours extending to peripancreatic tissues and/or tumours with regional or distant metastases (P=0·029). A corresponding statistical significance could also be noted in the mRNA level (P=0·025). The results show that pancreatic adenocarcinomas display a high activity of laminin γ2 chain synthesis. Tumours with a strong laminin γ2 chain synthesis show a lower invasive and metastatic potential than tumours with a weak or moderate laminin γ2 chain expression.