The significance of CD44 in human pancreatic cancer: I. High expression of CD44 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

The CD44 cell surface glycoprotein, which is the adhesion molecule of lymphocytes, has been suggested to be an important factor for the metastatic potential and invasive ability of cancer. We demonstrated the expression of CD44 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells and normal cells by using flow cytometry (FACS-can) and immunohistological staining. CD44 was highly expressed in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, while it was little expressed in normal human pancreas cells. These results indicate that the quantitative analysis of CD44 expression may be a useful diagnostic tool for pancreatic cancer.