Expression of stromal cell-derived factor 1 and CXCR4 ligand receptor system in pancreatic cancer: a possible role for tumor progression.

To examine the expression of the stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/CXCR4 receptor ligand system in pancreatic cancer cells and endothelial cells, we performed immunohistochemical analysis for 52 pancreatic cancer tissue samples with anti-CXCR4 antibody and reverse transcription-PCR analysis for CXCR4 and SDF-1 in five pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3, CFPAC-1, HPAC, and PANC-1), an endothelial cell line (HUVEC), and eight pancreatic cancer tissues. We then performed cell migration assay on AsPC-1 cells, HUVECs, and CFPAC-1 cells in the presence of SDF-1 or MRC-9 fibroblast cells. Immunoreactive CXCR4 was found mainly in pancreatic cancer cells and endothelial cells of relatively large vessels around a tumorous lesion. The immunopositive ratio in the pancreatic cancer was 71.2%. There was no statistically significant correlation with clinicopathological features. SDF-1 mRNA expressions were detected in all pancreatic cancer tissues but not in pancreatic cancer cell lines and HUVECs; meanwhile, CXCR4 mRNA was detected in all pancreatic cancer tissues, cancer cell lines, and HUVECs. The results indicate that the paracrine mechanism is involved in the SDF-1/CXCR4 receptor ligand system in pancreatic cancer. In vitro studies demonstrated that SDF-1 significantly increased the migration ability of AsPC-1 and HUVECs, and these effects were inhibited by CXCR4 antagonist T22, and that the coculture system with MRC-9 also increased the migration ability of CFPAC-1 cells, and this effect was significantly inhibited by T22. Our results suggested that the SDF-1/CXCR4 receptor ligand system may have a possible role in the pancreatic cancer progression through tumor cell migration and angiogenesis.