Expression of TIGAR and its correlation with clinicopathology, prognosis, and 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of TP53-inducible glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) and its relationship with clinical pathology and prognosis; and to analyze the correlation between TIGAR expression and F-18-labeled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) parameters in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 23 patients who underwent preoperative F-18-FDG PET/CT examinations and were confirmed to have PDAC by postoperative pathology. TIGAR was detected using immunohistochemistry. The relationships between TIGAR expression and clinicopathology and its value in predicting the prognosis of patients with PDAC were analyzed. The correlations between TIGAR expression and F-18-FDG PET/CT parameters [standard uptake value (SUV) max, SUVmean, SUVpeak, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)] were analyzed. Results The expression of TIGAR was low in 34.8% of patients and high in 65.2% of patients. There was no correlation between TIGAR expression and clinicopathology. The overall survival of patients with high TIGAR expression was significantly shorter than that of patients with low TIGAR expression (11.2 vs. 35.4 months). The F-18-FDG PET/CT parameters: SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, MTV, and TLG were positively correlated with TIGAR expression, but only the MTV correlation with TIGAR expression was statistically significant. Conclusion TIGAR is highly expressed in PDAC. Its expression is independent of clinicopathological data and can be used as an independent prognostic factor. TIGAR expression was significantly positively correlated with the F-18-FDG PET/CT parameter MTV.

Automated summary

This study found that TIGAR is highly expressed in PDAC, independent of clinicopathological data, and can serve as an independent prognostic factor. The expression of TIGAR was significantly positively correlated with the F-18-FDG PET/CT parameter MTV.