The CA19-9 and Sialyl-TRA Antigens Define Separate Subpopulations of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 22;7(1):4020. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-04164-z.

Abstract

Molecular markers to detect subtypes of cancer cells could facilitate more effective treatment. We recently identified a carbohydrate antigen, named sTRA, that is as accurate a serological biomarker of pancreatic cancer as the cancer antigen CA19-9. We hypothesized that the cancer cells producing sTRA are a different subpopulation than those producing CA19-9. The sTRA glycan was significantly elevated in tumor tissue relative to adjacent pancreatic tissue in 3 separate tissue microarrays covering 38 patients. The morphologies of the cancer cells varied in association with glycan expression. Cells with dual staining of both markers tended to be in well-to-moderately differentiated glands with nuclear polarization, but exclusive sTRA staining was present in small clusters of cells with poor differentiation and large vacuoles, or in small and ill-defined glands. Patients with higher dual-staining of CA19-9 and sTRA had statistically longer time-to-progression after surgery. Patients with short time-to-progression (<2 years) had either low levels of the dual-stained cells or high levels of single-stained cells, and such patterns differentiated short from long time-to-progression with 90% (27/30) sensitivity and 80% (12/15) specificity. The sTRA and CA19-9 glycans define separate subpopulations of cancer cells and could together have value for classifying subtypes of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm*
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / blood
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / metabolism*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism
  • Prognosis
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Polysaccharides
  • carbohydrate antigen 199, human