Migratory activity of CD105+ pancreatic cancer cells is strongly enhanced by pancreatic stellate cells.

CD105 expression correlates with prognosis for several cancers. However, its significance in pancreatic cancer is unclear. We analyzed CD105 expression in resected pancreatic cancer tissue and pancreatic cancer cell lines, compared the properties of CD105(+) and CD105(-) cells using quantitative RT-PCR and migration assays, and evaluated the relationship between CD105(+) cells and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). Immunohistochemistry showed that the frequency of CD105 expression was higher in pancreatic cancer than that in normal tissue(8% vs 0%, respectively). In flow cytometry, CD105 was expressed in pancreatic cancer cells, whereas weak CD105 expression was detected in normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that E-cadherin mRNA expression was suppressed and vimentin mRNA was overexpressed in CD105(+) cells (P < 0.05). Migration of CD105(+) cancer cells was strongly enhanced (more than that of CD105(+) cells) in coculture with PSCs (P < 0.05). CD105 expression did not correlate to clinicopathologic characteristics or the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Suppression of an epithelial marker and over expression of a mesenchymal marker suggest that epithelial-mesenchymal transition is induced in CD105(+) pancreatic cancer cells. CD105(+) pancreatic cancer cell migration is strongly enhanced by PSCs, suggesting that these cells play a role in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment.