Gene expression signatures associated with Perineural Invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a prominent characteristic of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and indicates poor prognosis. The invasion of the surrounding nerves by pancreatic cancer cells not only provides route for metastasis but also contributes to neural remodeling and changes in the neuronal milieu that can profoundly influenced the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. To investigate the downstream molecules associated with PNI, the experiment analyzed mRNA expression of 50 pairs of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissue and paired adjacent non-tumor tissue, among which 28 pairs of cases diagnosed with PNI by experienced pathologist. Results provide new insight into molecular basis for the influence of PNI on the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. The aim of our work was to characterize downstream molecules influenced by the perineural invasion of pancreatic cancer. For this purpose, we generated and compared expression profiles of PDAC tissue from patients diagnosed with PNI (n=28) and PDAC tissue from patients without PNI (n=22).