SSAT - Increased Expression of the GLUT-1 Gene Is Associated With a Poorer Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer

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Increased Expression of the GLUT-1 Gene Is Associated With a Poorer Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer
Ashley H. Davis-Yadley^*^2,1, Andrea M. Abbott², Jose M. Pimiento^2,4, Dung-TSA Chen³, Mokenge P. Malafa²
¹Morsani College of Medicine, USF Health, Tampa, FL; ²Gastrointestinal Oncology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL; ³Epidemiology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL; ⁴Lacks Cancer Center, Grand Rapids, FL

Background: Increased glucose metabolism is a hallmark of cancer. This phenomenon, known as the Warburg effect, is also reflected by the overexpression of genes associated with glucose transport. The glucose transporter protein type 1 (GLUT-1) is a glucose plasma cell transporter encoded by the SLCA2A1 gene and associated with glucose metabolism. In this study, we evaluated the expression of the GLUT-1 gene in pancreatic cancer and determined its effect in pancreatic cancer prognosis.
Methods: 63 patients with early stage pancreatic cancer (I-II) were identified from a comprehensive pancreatic adenocarcinoma database for retrospective analysis of GLUT-1 gene expression and the association with prognosis of pancreatic cancer. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis was also performed to compare the role of GLUT-1 gene expression to other prognostic factors. Cox proportional hazards model was used for survival analysis.
Results: Patients with increased GLUT-1 gene expression were found to have a decreased OS. Univariate analysis identifies the GLUT-1 gene as a poor prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio (HR)=1.33 with p=0.008). Multivariate analysis further shows that the GLUT-1 gene is an independent prognostic factor even after adjusted for gender, age at diagnosis, histology, and pathological stage (HR=1.27 with p=0.03).
Conclusion: Increased GLUT-1 gene expression is associated with a decreased overall survival in pancreatic cancer, thus supporting its role as a potential prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer.

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