Negative methylation status of Vimentin predicts improved prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma

Table 1 Clinicopathological features of pancreatic carcinoma n (%)

Data	Vimentin methylated negative group (n = 43)2	Vimentin methylated positive group (n = 21)3	P value
Sex			0.582
Male	27 (62.8)	15 (71.4)
Female	16 (37.2)	6 (28.6)
Tumor position			0.007
Head	11 (25.6)	13 (61.9)
Body and tail	32 (74.4)	8 (38.1)
Preoperative CEA level			0.294
Normal	20 (46.5)	13 (61.9)
Elevated	23 (53.5)	8 (38.1)
Preoperative CA19-9 level			0.600
Normal	24 (55.8)	10 (47.6)
Elevated	19 (44.2)	11 (52.4)
Pathological N staging1			0.426
N0	21(48.8)	13 (61.9)
N1	22 (51.2)	8 (38.1)
Pathological T staging1			0.753
T1	14 (32.6)	5 (23.8)
T2	19 (44.2)	11 (52.4)
T3	10 (23.3)	5 (23.8)
Adjuvant chemotherapy			0.791
No	20 (46.5)	11 (52.4)
Yes	23 (53.5)	10 (47.6)

¹The pathological T and N staging was based on the UICC staging systems for pancreatic cancer;

²Median age 54 years, range: 36-71 years;

³Median age 53 years, range: 41-68 years.

Table 2 Univariate analysis of overall survival in pancreatic carcinoma

Variables	n	Median survival (mo)	P value
Sex			0.819
Male	42	13.45
Female	22	10.84
Preoperative CEA			0.260
Normal	33	15.15
Elevated	31	13.61
Preoperative CA19-9			0.947
Normal	40	14.12
Elevated	24	15.09
Tumor position			0.007
Body and tail	40	16.20
Head	24	11.25
Pathological T stage			< 0.001
T1	19	21.01
T2	30	13.10
T3	15	8.00
Pathological N stage			0.311
N0	34	14.28
N1	30	16.20
Adjuvant chemotherapy
Yes	33	16.12	0.015
No	31	13.07
Vimentin methylation state			0.013
Positive	21	11.09
Negative	43	16.03

Table 3 Multivariate analyses of overall survival in pancreatic carcinoma (Cox’s regression model)

Variable	HR	95%CI	P value
OS in all pancreatic cancer patients
Tumor position	1.789	0.873-3.666	0.112
Pathological T staging	4.026	2.283-7.101	<0.001
Adjuvant chemotherapy	0.356	0.181-0.698	0.003
Vimentin methylation state	2.250	1.052-4.813	0.037

OS: Overall survival; HR: Hazard ratio.