Immunocytochemical Analysis of Stem Cell Markers in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.
[BACKGROUND] Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) arises from transformed pancreatic stem cells.
- p-value p = 0.023
- p-value p = 0.041
APA
Al-Temaimi R, Al-Ali A, et al. (2026). Immunocytochemical Analysis of Stem Cell Markers in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.. Cytopathology : official journal of the British Society for Clinical Cytology. https://doi.org/10.1111/cyt.70072
MLA
Al-Temaimi R, et al.. "Immunocytochemical Analysis of Stem Cell Markers in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.." Cytopathology : official journal of the British Society for Clinical Cytology, 2026.
PMID
41873013
Abstract
[BACKGROUND] Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) arises from transformed pancreatic stem cells. Different stemness pathways are thought to be involved in the progression of PDAC.
[OBJECTIVE] To assess the expression of four stem cell markers to determine the best candidate for targeted therapy.
[METHODS] Seventy-one PDAC cell blocks were immunoassayed for CD24, OCT4, DCLK1 and CD44 expression and genotyped for common KRAS mutations.
[RESULTS] OCT4 was detected in 82.9% of PDAC and undetected in healthy pancreas. CD24 was detected in 23.9% of PDACs, while DCLK1 and CD44 were detected in 25.7% and 34.8% of PDACs, respectively. CD24 localisation was primarily nuclear in PDAC and membranous in healthy pancreas tissues. OCT4 expression and nuclear localisation correlated positively with CD24 expression and nuclear localisation (r = 0.264, p = 0.023; r = 0.238, p = 0.041, respectively). OCT4 expression was lower in KRAS mutation-positive specimens (β -0.54, 95% CI: -0.37 - (-0.088), p = 0.002).
[CONCLUSION] OCT4 expression is a specific biomarker for PDAC. Its increased expression signified PDAC progression and CD24 activation in a subset of PDAC. KRAS mutants have lower OCT4 expression, suggesting an alternative mechanism for cancer progression than that in OCT4 positive PDAC.
[OBJECTIVE] To assess the expression of four stem cell markers to determine the best candidate for targeted therapy.
[METHODS] Seventy-one PDAC cell blocks were immunoassayed for CD24, OCT4, DCLK1 and CD44 expression and genotyped for common KRAS mutations.
[RESULTS] OCT4 was detected in 82.9% of PDAC and undetected in healthy pancreas. CD24 was detected in 23.9% of PDACs, while DCLK1 and CD44 were detected in 25.7% and 34.8% of PDACs, respectively. CD24 localisation was primarily nuclear in PDAC and membranous in healthy pancreas tissues. OCT4 expression and nuclear localisation correlated positively with CD24 expression and nuclear localisation (r = 0.264, p = 0.023; r = 0.238, p = 0.041, respectively). OCT4 expression was lower in KRAS mutation-positive specimens (β -0.54, 95% CI: -0.37 - (-0.088), p = 0.002).
[CONCLUSION] OCT4 expression is a specific biomarker for PDAC. Its increased expression signified PDAC progression and CD24 activation in a subset of PDAC. KRAS mutants have lower OCT4 expression, suggesting an alternative mechanism for cancer progression than that in OCT4 positive PDAC.