Role of nerve growth factor/TrkA in perineural invasion and pain in pancreatic cancer / 中华神经医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the expressions of nerve growth factor(NGF)/TrkA in pancreatic cancer and evaluate their association with perineural invasion and pain in patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods Twenty-eight patients with pancreatic cancer were divided into group A wim pain(n=14)and group B without pain(n=14),and in all the patients the expressions of NGF/TrkA in the pancreatic CanCel tissue were detected by Northern blot analysis and immunohistochemistry.The molecular findings were analyzed in relation to the perineural invasion scores and pain scores.Results Perineural invasion scores in group A were significantly higher than that in group B (P＜0.05).Northern blot analysis revealed significantly higher NGF/TrkA levels and NGF/TrkA immunoreactivity in group A than in group B (P＜0.05).Immunohistochemistry showed that NGF was strongly expressedin the cytoplasm of the pancreatic cancer cells but TrkA Was localized in the perineurinm of the pancreatic Berve.NGF and TrkA mRNA expressions in the tumors were found to positively correlate to perineural invasion of the tumors(r=622,P＜0.05,and r=0.681,P＜0.05,respectively)and the pain scores(r=0.624,P＜0.05;r=0.632,P＜0.05).The immunohistochemical scores of NGF and TrkA expressions in the tumor were also positively correlated to perineural invasion of the tunlor(r=0.602,P＜0.05;r=0.551,P＜0.05)and the pain scores(r=q).603,P＜0.01;r=0.612,P＜0.01).Conclusions The NGF/TrkA system might play important roles in nerve infiltration by the tumor cells and pain sensation in pancreatic cancer patients.