is a potential tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer.

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly cancers with low survival rates, is difficult, and effective biomarkers are urgently needed. Lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α factor () has been recently proposed as a potential tumor suppressor gene in several types of cancer. Here, we analyzed the biological function of in pancreatic cancer. The gene and protein levels were decreased in pancreatic tumor tissues compared with their paired adjacent non-cancerous tissues. In addition, patients with the lower protein expression had lower disease-free survival rates. The decreased expression correlated with promoter hypermethylation in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. Moreover, promoter demethylation dose-dependently increased the transcription. Importantly, demethylation suppressed proliferation and cell cycle progression, and enhanced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. Together, our results indicate that functions as a tumor suppressor gene in pancreatic cancer cells, and might serve as a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.