Significance of AXL expression in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (an Immunohistochemical study)

Abdel-Aal, Ebtehal M; Abd El Wahab, Nehal S; Rashad, Heba M; Aboelkheir, Mona A; Gamil, Shrouk E; Ahmed, Shaymaa S

doi:10.21608/bmfj.2025.371642.2355

Significance of AXL expression in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (an Immunohistochemical study)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University. Qalyubiyah, Egypt.

² M.B.B.CH, of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University. Qalyubiyah, Egypt.

³ Department of pathology, National Liver Institute, Menofia University, Egypt.

10.21608/bmfj.2025.371642.2355

Abstract

Background: Chronic pancreatitis is a well-established risk factor of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcarcinoma is the most common histiotype of pancreatic cancer and considered the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. Different markers were used as diagnostic methods for PDAC have low sensitivity and specificity. AXL is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) belonging to the tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) protein family that is involved in tumorgenesis and progression of many cancers. Aim: To evaluate the significance of (AXL) expression in chronic pancreatitis & PDAC and to compare & correlate (AXL) expression with the available clinicopathological data . Material and methods: This is a retrospective study using microarray technique carried upon selected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of 50 PDAC cases and 10 cases of chronic pancreatitis. Clinicopathological characteristics of the examined cases were correlated with immunohistochemistry of AXL. Results: There is a significant statistical correlation between PDAC and chronic pancreatitis as regard expression of AXL with more frequency of positive expression among carcinoma cases (P=0.002). There is a significant statistical correlation between AXL scoring and different histological grade of studied cases, tumor necrosis, perineural invasion and TNM stage of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (P value= 0.001, 0.006, 0.002 and P=0.05 respectively). Conclusion: The expression of AXL is more in PDAC than chronic pancreatitis cases indicating that AXL could have a role in the development of PDAC. AXL showed a significant correlation with tumor grade, tumor necrosis, with sensitivity 84%, specificity 90% and accuracy 89%.

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