The serum level of CA 19-9 is a prognostic marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We evaluated the ability of the expression level of methionyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (MARS1)—which facilitates cancer growth by modulating protein synthesis and the cell cycle—to predict the prognosis of PDAC. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed on pancreatic specimens obtained from patients with PDAC who were undergoing surgery. High MARS1 expression was defined as equal to, or greater than, that in normal acinar cells. Low MARS1 expression was defined as weaker than in normal acinar cells, and stronger than in the pancreatic duct epithelium. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on other factors related to prognosis. Among 137 PDAC patients, no significant differences in baseline characteristics were found between those with high (n = 82) and low (n = 55) MARS1 expression. The median overall survival time of patients with high MARS1 expression was shorter than that of those with low expression (15.2 versus 17.2 months, log-rank testp= 0.044). The median disease-free survival (DFS) was not significantly different between the two groups. However, the DFS was shorter in patients with high than in those with low MARS1 expression (8.9 versus 11.2 months, log-rank testp= 0.067). In a multivariate analysis, lymph node metastasis and high MARS1 expression were associated with a poor prognosis of PDAC. Elevated MARS1 expression detected by IHC staining is associated with a poor prognosis of PDAC, suggesting that MARS1 has potential as a prognostic marker.
血清CA19-9水平是胰腺导管腺癌(PDAC)的预后标志物。本研究评估了甲硫氨酰-tRNA合成酶1(MARS1)的表达水平对PDAC预后的预测能力,该酶通过调节蛋白质合成和细胞周期促进肿瘤生长。我们对接受手术的PDAC患者的胰腺标本进行免疫组化(IHC)染色分析。高MARS1表达定义为表达强度等于或高于正常腺泡细胞,低表达定义为强度弱于正常腺泡细胞但强于胰腺导管上皮。同时对其他预后相关因素进行单变量和多变量分析。在137例PDAC患者中,高表达组(82例)与低表达组(55例)的基线特征无显著差异。高MARS1表达患者的中位总生存期较短(15.2个月 vs 17.2个月,时序检验p=0.044)。两组间中位无病生存期(DFS)虽无统计学显著差异,但高表达组DFS呈现缩短趋势(8.9个月 vs 11.2个月,时序检验p=0.067)。多变量分析显示淋巴结转移和高MARS1表达与PDAC不良预后相关。通过IHC染色检测到的MARS1高表达与PDAC不良预后相关,提示MARS1具有作为预后标志物的潜力。