Sulfatase 1 expression in pancreatic cancer and its correlation with clinicopathological features and postoperative prognosis

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that Sulfatase 1 (SULF1) plays a crucial role in the genesis, development, and progression of tumors. However, there have been few studies on the role of SULF1 in pancreatic cancer. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the differences in SULF1 expression levels between pancreatic cancer and normal tissues, and their correlation with the clinicopathological features and prognosis. METHODS: A total of 65 pancreatic cancer samples were enrolled in this study. An immunohistochemical assay were used in this study. The relationship between SULF1 expression and clinicopathological features were tested using chi(2) test or Fisher's exact test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative survival rates of the patients. RESULTS: The study showed that the SULF1 expression level was higher in pancreatic cancer tissues than in normal tissues. Analysis of the clinical and pathological data of patients revealed that high SULF1 expression was associated with later T, N, and TNM stages, higher CA19-9 levels, smaller tumor size, and poorer prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that SULF1 could be an indicator of the clinicopathological features and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.