DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v5i08.031

Pages: 3117-3124

Carcinoma gallbladder is one of the most common malignancies of gastrointestinal tract. It is highly aggressive and incurable disease representing most common malignancy of biliary tract with a three folds higher incidence in females. Gall bladder cancer shows striking geographical predilections in its incidence, with highest figures found in India and Chile and relatively low level in many western countries. Regulatory peptide receptors have attracted interest of oncologists as a new promising approach for cancer pathology, imaging and therapy. Although cholecystokinin (CCK) is a potent modulator of gallbladder contractility and plays a potential role in pancreatic carcinogenesis through CCK type-A receptor (CCKAR), its role in gallbladder cancer (GBC) is still unknown and immunohistochemical detection of CCKAR in the gallbladder has not yet been reported. The aim is to investigate the expression profile of CCKAR in GBC and Chronic cholecystitis. This case-control study included 100 samples: 50 from GBC and 50 from Chronic cholecystitis. Expression of CCKAR was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The results were statistically correlated with disease history including age, sex and differentiation. CCKAR was positive in 21/50 (42.0%) of chronic cholecystitis and 38/50 (76.0%) of GBC samples. 21 of the 38 (55.3%) CCKAR-positive GBC samples showed strong expression. There was a significant difference in CCKAR expression between chronic cholecystitis and GBC. CCKAR expression was significantly increased in GBC compared to chronic cholecystitis. Moreover, CCKAR expression was associated with the degree of tumor differentiation, i.e., less expression in poorly-differentiated tumors. So, it has future prognostic and therapeutic implications in the management of GBC.