Scientific Reports (Nov 2024)

Correlation of intratumoral mast cell quantity with psychosocial distress in patients with pancreatic cancer: the PancStress study

  • Alicia Sitte,
  • Ruediger Goess,
  • Tutku Tüfekçi,
  • Ilaria Pergolini,
  • Paulo Leonardo Pfitzinger,
  • Eloísa Salvo-Romero,
  • Carmen Mota Reyes,
  • Sergey Tokalov,
  • Okan Safak,
  • Hendrik Steenfadt,
  • Ibrahim H. Gürcinar,
  • Ümmügülsüm Yurteri,
  • Miriam Goebel-Stengel,
  • Gemma Mazzuoli-Weber,
  • Andreas Stengel,
  • Mert Erkan,
  • Helmut Friess,
  • Rouzanna Istvanffy,
  • Güralp Onur Ceyhan,
  • Elke Demir,
  • Ihsan Ekin Demir

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77010-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Abstract Mast cells are commonly found in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), yet their role in the disease remains uncertain. Although mast cells have been associated with depression in several diseases, their connection to PDAC in this context remains unclear. This study explored the correlation between mast cells and psychosocial stress in patients with PDAC. Prior to surgery, 40 patients with PDAC (n = 29 primary resected, n = 11 neoadjuvant treated) completed four questionnaires assessing stress and quality of life. Immunostaining was performed on the resected tumor tissue. Spearman analysis was employed to correlate mast cells with distress and neuropeptides serotonin and beta-endorphin serum and tissue levels. Patients with PDAC exhibited elevated levels of distress and worry. Lower number of mast cells within the tumor correlated with greater psychological burden. Among primary resected patients, mast cell count moderately correlated with joy and inversely with worries. Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, strong inverse correlation was observed between anxiety, depression, and mast cell quantity. No correlation was found between mast cells and serotonin or beta-endorphin levels. In summary, mast cell presence inversely correlates with psychosocial stress, suggesting a link between immune cells and psychological well-being in pancreatic cancer. Targeting mast cells might offer therapeutic avenues for addressing cancer-induced depression and anxiety.

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