Ezrin Intracellular Cytoskeleton Marker is Over Expressed in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Prospective Cohort Study

Livia Petrusel, Ioana Rusu, Ramona Suharoschi, Andrada Seicean, Daniel Corneliu Leucuta and Radu Seicean

Department of Gastroenterology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania
Department of Pathology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Romania
Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania
First Surgery Clinic, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania

^*Correspondance to: Daniel Corneliu Leucuta 

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Abstract:

Background: Intracellular cytoskeleton in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) might be a key factor in its poor outcome. Reliable biomarkers estimating the cytoskeleton involvement are lacking. Ezrin is involved in intracellular signaling and adhesion, by linking in the PI3K/Akt pathways.
Aim of the Study: To assess the significance of ezrin protein expression in PDAC related to the clinical stage and survival.
Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with proven adenocarcinoma and a matched group of controls without any malignancies. The plasma levels of ezrin were analyzed using western blotting and were correlated with the clinicopathological features and survival data. These results were validated by immunohistochemical analyses of the pancreatic tumor tissue of the patients included in the study and a supplementary group of surgically resected specimens from
patients with a benign disease.
Results: The study comprised 51 patients with PDAC, 53 controls and a supplementary group of 13 normal pancreatic tissue samples. EZR was over expressed more frequently in the plasma of patients with PDAC than in the controls (80% vs. 32%, P<0.001). EZR was detected in the fine needle aspiration tumor tissue by immunohistochemistry and it was not significantly correlated with its plasma expression. The EZR protein expression was closely related to the advanced clinical stage (P=0.02), and the risk of metastasis was five times higher (P=0.048) and with no influence on survival.
Conclusion: Ezrin pathway as an intracellular cytoskeleton biomarker is related to the local spread and metastasis of PDAC, but not in the survival.

Keywords:

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma; Ezrin; Biomarker; Cytoskeletal; Survival; Metastasis

Cite the Article:

Petrusel L, Rusu I, Suharoschi R, Seicean A, Leucuta DC, Seicean R. Ezrin Intracellular Cytoskeleton Marker is Over Expressed in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Prospective Cohort Study. Clin Oncol. 2021;6:1777..