Prognostic Significance of the Immediate Early Response Gene X-1 (IEX-1) Expression in Pancreatic Cancer

Background The immediate early response gene X-1 (IEX-1) is a stress-inducible protein that is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of IEX-1 expression in pancreatic cancer. Methods IEX-1 protein expression was examined on paraffin-embedded specimens from 78 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using immunohistochemistry. The relationships between the IEX-1 expression and other clinicopathological parameters and patient survival were evaluated. A similar analysis was conducted in a subgroup of 48 patients, who underwent a macroscopically curative resection with detailed information on the pathological findings. Results Among 78 pancreatic cancer patients, 41 patients (53%) were positive for IEX-1 staining. In a multivariate analysis, curative operation ( P