Association of CD39 with CDH1, CXCR4, CXCR3, and SNAIL genes in pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignancies and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is poor and the 5-year survival rate of these patients is about 5%. CD39, CXCR3, CXCR4, CDH1 and SNAIL are important factors in the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the expression level of these genes in tumor and marginal tissue of pancreatic cancer patients. Methods and Materials: In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the expression of factors affecting metastasis in pancreatic cancer samples was performed. Tumor tissue samples were collected from pancreatic cancer patients and the expression levels of CD39, CXCR3, CXCR4, CDH1 and SNAIL were evaluated using qRT-PCR. Then the clinical data results were analyzed. This study included 25 patients with pancreatic cancer showing different stages and molecular subtypes of the disease.

Results: When examining the gene expression of CD39 in relation to CXCR3, CXCR4, CDH1, and SNAIL genes, it was observed that elevated CD39 expression in tumor samples corresponded to increased expression in CXCR3, CXCR4, and SNAIL genes. However, a contrasting pattern emerged with the CDH1 gene, where its expression in marginal samples surrounding the tumor was higher than in the tumor samples themselves, presenting an inverse relationship to CD39 expression.