Serum N-glycan profiles in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas

Background/objectives Diagnosing the invasiveness of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) is difficult, especially by blood test. Alterations in serum glycan profiles have been reported for several cancers, but changes in serum glycan profiles have not been investigated in patients with IPMNs. The objectives of this study were to determine the serum N-glycan profile and to investigate its clinical utility in patients with IPMNs. Methods We measured serum N-glycan profiles in 79 patients with IPMNs, including 13 invasive IPMNs, by performing comprehensive glycome analysis and assessed the relationship between N-glycan changes and clinical parameters. Results Seventy glycans were identified and their expression profiles were significantly different depending on the cyst size, the presence of an enhancing solid component, and the histological grade of the IPMN. Nine glycans were highly expressed in patients with invasive IPMNs. The glycan m/z 3195, which is a fucosylated tri-antennary glycan, had the highest diagnostic value for distinguishing invasive IPMNs from non-invasive IPMNs (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.803). Multivariate analyses revealed high levels of m/z 3195 [odds ratio (OR), 20.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.60-486.4] and the presence of enhancing solid components (OR, 35.8; 95% CI, 5.39-409.6) were significant risk factors for invasive IPMNs. Conclusions We performed a comprehensive evaluation of the changes in serum N-glycan profiles in patients with IPMNs for the first time. We determined that increased expression of fucosylated complex-type glycans, especially m/z 3195, is a potential marker for invasive IPMNs.