Mesothelin is Commonly Expressed in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma but Unrelated to Cancer Aggressiveness
Sören Weidemann, Daniel Pérez, Jakob R. Izbicki, Michael Neipp, Hamid Mofid, Thies Daniels, U. Nahrstedt, Frank Jacobsen, Christian Bernreuther, Ronald Simon, Stefan Steurer, Eike Burandt, Andreas H. Marx, Till Krech, Till S. Clauditz, Kristina Jansen
Abstract
Data on Mesothelin (MSLN) expression in human normal and cancerous tissues is controversial. We employed immunohistochemistry (IHC) on a tissue microarray (TMA) from 599 pancreatic cancers and 12 large tissue sections of pancreatitis. MSLN expression was highest in pancreatic adenocarcinomas (89%) and adenocarcinomas of the ampulla Vateri (79%), infrequent in pancreatitis and absent in 6 acinus cell carcinomas and normal pancreas. MSLN expression was unrelated to pathological tumor stage, grade, metastasis, and tumor-infiltrating CD8+ lymphocytes. In conclusion, pancreatic cancer may be ideally suited for putative anti- MSLN therapies, and MSLN may represent a suitable biomarker for pancreatic cancer diagnosis, especially on small biopsies.