Reduced expression of desmocollin 2 is an independent prognostic biomarker for shorter patients survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Cell–cell adhesion molecules such as desmosomes and cytokeratins may play a major role in epithelial–mesenchymal transition and have been suggested to have a relevant impact on tumour progression. This study investigated 15 biomarkers in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and correlated the results with clinicopathological parameters.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Tissue microarrays of 115 R0-resected PDAC were constructed to evaluate the protein expression of 15 in genome‐wide expression profiling differentially expressed biomarkers.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>At the protein level a high expression of desmocollin 2 (DSC2) was observed in 90.4%, DSC1 (67.6%), DSC3 (0.9%), MDM2 (16.2%), CEA (64.8%), CK7 (85.2%), CK8 (96.5%), CK18 (96.5%), CK19 (93.9%), CK20 (11.5%), CA19-9 (86.6%), TLE1 (8.7%), PITX1 (91.2%), factor H (95.7%) and mesothelin (9.6%). Reduced expression of DSC2 was statistically correlated with shorter patient survival, higher tumour grading and positive lymph node status (p=0.008, p=0.029, p=0.011, respectively). In multivariable analysis reduced expression of DSC2, higher tumour grading and positive lymph node status were independently correlated with shorter patient survival.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Reduced expression of DSC2 is independently correlated with shorter patient survival, higher tumour grading and positive lymph node status in PDAC and could serve as a prognostic marker.</jats:p></jats:sec>