Proteomic biomarkers profiling in Pakistani pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma population: a retrospective cohort study

<b>Aim:</b> Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers. Research in various cancers suggests that investigating target biomarkers may provide directions to precision medicine. However, expression of biomarkers varies across different populations. The biomarker profile of Pakistani patients with PDAC remains unexplored.<b>Materials & methods:</b> We conducted a study on 109 patients to analyze a panel of four proteins (KRAS, p53, BRCA1 and APC) using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples. After confirmation of diagnosis and appropriate tumor content, tissues were processed with antibody specific immunohistochemistry experiments. Subsequently, independent microscopic observation was conducted by two pathologists using scoring criteria specific for each antibody.<b>Results:</b> Statistical analysis showed that negative expression of p53 was significantly associated with positive expression of BRCA1 (<i>p</i> = 0.000) and APC (<i>p</i> = 0.007). The expression of BRCA1 was also found significantly associated with APC (<i>p</i> = 0.028). None of the protein showed association with overall survival or patient demographics. Moreover, KRAS expression was shown to be significantly associated with perineural invasion (<i>p</i> = 0.005).<b>Conclusion:</b> This is the first study that investigates protein biomarker expression in a large cohort of Pakistani PDAC patients. The findings from the study may provide directions about the population specific biomarkers and targeted therapies for these patients.