Centrosome Abnormalities in Pancreatic Ductal Carcinoma

• Published in: Clinical cancer research Vol. 5; no. 5; pp. 963 - 970
• Main Authors: SATO, N, MIZUMOTO, K, NAKAMURA, M, NAKAMURA, K, KUSUMOTO, M, NIIYAMA, H, OGAWA, T, TANAKA, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.05.1999
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - diagnosis; Adenocarcinoma - ultrastructure; Adenoma - ultrastructure; Adult; Aged; Aneuploidy; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Polarity; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - ultrastructure; Centrosome - chemistry; Centrosome - ultrastructure; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Insulinoma - ultrastructure; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Middle Aged; Mitosis; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Pancreas - ultrastructure; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Pancreatic Neoplasms - ultrastructure; Pancreatitis - pathology; Tubulin - analysis; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; Human; Ductal carcinoma; Tumoral tissue; Established cell line; Digestive diseases; Malignant tumor; Pancreas; Tumor cell; Centrosome; Pancreatic disease
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265

The centrosome plays an important role in microtubule nucleation and organization, ensuring the establishment of cell polarity and balanced chromosome segregation. Recent studies have suggested that the loss of cell polarity and/or chromosome missegregation (aneuploidy) in human malignant tumors could result from defects in centrosome function. Using immunofluorescence analysis with an antibody to γ-tubulin (a well-characterized centrosomal component), we examined surgically resected human pancreatic tissues for centrosome abnormalities. The tissues included ductal carcinomas ( n = 13), adenomas ( n = 3), endocrine tumors ( n = 3), chronic pancreatitis ( n = 5), and normal pancreatic tissues ( n = 12). We found that most (85%) carcinomas and some adenomas displayed abnormal centrosome profiles, characterized by an increase in size and number of centrosomes, and by their irregular distribution. In contrast, none of normal ductal and stromal tissues showed these abnormalities. These findings suggest that centrosome abnormalities may develop at a relatively early stage of pancreatic ductal carcinogenesis.