The signal of proteinase-activated receptor-2 plays an important role in pancreatic cancer progression

The proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is cleaved and activated by trypsin and tryptase. PAR-2 was widely expressed in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and in malignant and nonmalignant human pancreatic tissues. The expression of PAR-2 was found to be higher in the tissues with infiltrative growth pattern than those with expansive growth pattern. Moreover, significantly higher expression of PAR-2 was observed in the tissues that were accompanied with severe fibrosis. Even in the same specimen, the intensity of immunoreactivity tended to be stronger in the part accompanied with severe fibrosis than that accompanied with mild fibrosis. Similarly, the higher expression of PAR-2 was observed in chronic pancreatitis with severe fibrosis than with mild fibrosis. Higher expression of PAR-2 in pancreatic cancer showing infiltrative growth and higher degree of fibrosis may indicate that the activation of PAR-2 is involved in cancer invasion and the induction of fibrosis in human pancreatic cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]