ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) in human pancreatic carcinoma and explore its role in the oncogenesis of pancreatic cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A pancreatic carcinoma tissue microarray was constructed, which contained 10 normal adult pancreas tissues, 12 chronic pancreatitis tissues and 78 pancreatic carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of PSCA, and the relation between PSCA expression and the clinicopathological factors of pancreatic carcinoma was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positivity rate of PSCA in pancreatic carcinoma was 79.5% (62/78), and PSCA staining was more intense in the malignant cells than in the benign cells (chi2=15.81, P<0.005) and chronic pancreatitis tissues (chi2=11.33, P<0.005). No obvious association was found between PSCA expression and the other variables of pancreatic carcinoma (including gender, age at surgery, tumor grade, and TNM stages).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of PSCA can be related to the development of pancreatic cancer, but not to the clinicopathological factors of the tumor.</p>