TY - JOUR

T1 - Stroma-regulated HMGA2 is an independent prognostic marker in PDAC and AAC

AU - Strell, Carina

AU - Norberg, Karin Jessica

AU - Mezheyeuski, Artur

AU - Schnittert, Jonas

AU - Kuninty, Praneeth R.

AU - Moro, Carlos Fernández

AU - Paulsson, Janna

AU - Schultz, Nicolai Aagaard

AU - Calatayud, Dan

AU - Löhr, Johannes Matthias

AU - Frings, Oliver

AU - Verbeke, Caroline Sophie

AU - Heuchel, Rainer Lothar

AU - Prakash, Jai

AU - Johansen, Julia Sidenius

AU - Östman, Arne

PY - 2017/6/27

Y1 - 2017/6/27

N2 - Background:The HMGA2 protein has experimentally been linked to EMT and cancer stemness. Recent studies imply that tumour-stroma interactions regulate these features and thereby contribute to tumour aggressiveness.Methods:We analysed 253 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and 155 cases of ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC) for HMGA2 expression by IHC. The data were correlated with stroma abundance and supplemented by experimental studies.Results:HMGA2 acts as an independent prognostic marker associated with a significantly shorter overall survival in both tumour types. Overall, HMGA2-positivity was more frequent in patients with PDAC than with AAC. The HMGA2 status in tumour cells significantly correlated with the abundance of PDGFRβ-defined stroma cells. In vivo co-injection of Panc-1 cancer cells with pancreatic stellate cells increased tumour growth in a manner associated with increased HMGA2 expression. Furthermore, in vitro treatment of Panc-1 with conditioned media from PDGF-BB-activated stellate cells increased their ability to form tumour spheroids.Conclusions:This study identifies HMGA2 expression in tumour cells as an independent prognostic marker in PDAC and AAC. Correlative data analysis gives novel tissue-based evidence for a heterotypic cross-talk with stroma cells as a possible mechanism for HMGA2 induction, which is further supported by experimental models.

AB - Background:The HMGA2 protein has experimentally been linked to EMT and cancer stemness. Recent studies imply that tumour-stroma interactions regulate these features and thereby contribute to tumour aggressiveness.Methods:We analysed 253 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and 155 cases of ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC) for HMGA2 expression by IHC. The data were correlated with stroma abundance and supplemented by experimental studies.Results:HMGA2 acts as an independent prognostic marker associated with a significantly shorter overall survival in both tumour types. Overall, HMGA2-positivity was more frequent in patients with PDAC than with AAC. The HMGA2 status in tumour cells significantly correlated with the abundance of PDGFRβ-defined stroma cells. In vivo co-injection of Panc-1 cancer cells with pancreatic stellate cells increased tumour growth in a manner associated with increased HMGA2 expression. Furthermore, in vitro treatment of Panc-1 with conditioned media from PDGF-BB-activated stellate cells increased their ability to form tumour spheroids.Conclusions:This study identifies HMGA2 expression in tumour cells as an independent prognostic marker in PDAC and AAC. Correlative data analysis gives novel tissue-based evidence for a heterotypic cross-talk with stroma cells as a possible mechanism for HMGA2 induction, which is further supported by experimental models.

KW - EMT

KW - fibroblasts

KW - HMGA2

KW - pancreatic cancer

KW - prognosis

KW - stroma cells

U2 - 10.1038/bjc.2017.140

DO - 10.1038/bjc.2017.140

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28524160

AN - SCOPUS:85021392828

VL - 117

SP - 65

EP - 77

JO - The British journal of cancer. Supplement

JF - The British journal of cancer. Supplement

SN - 0007-0920

ER -