Pancreatic carcinoma is an aggressive tumor that is resistant to treatment regimens. Although the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) overexpression in pancreatic carcinoma cells has been previously reported, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of XIAP expression with pancreatic carcinoma outcome. Specimens were obtained from 54 patients who underwent resection for pancreatic cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate post-operative survival. The results of this analysis revealed a significantly shorter overall survival time in patients with a high compared to those with a low XIAP expression (P=0.041). Results of the multivariate analysis revealed that XIAP expression was identified as an independent predictor for pancreatic carcinoma outcome [relative risk, 1.771; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.099-2.852; P=0.019]. Moreover, XIAP levels were associated with pancreatic carcinoma characteristics, including tumor invasion status and histological grade. XIAP overexpression shortens the survival of pancreatic cancer patients probably by modifying their resistance to apoptosis and the proliferation capacity of pancreatic carcinoma cells. Thus, XIAP expression analysis can help in the identification of patient subgroups at high risk of a poor disease outcome.
Keywords: X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein; apoptosis; outcome; pancreatic carcinoma.