Exosomal glypican-1 is elevated in pancreatic cancer precursors and can signal genetic predisposition in the absence of endoscopic ultrasound abnormalities

Figure 3 Glypican-1-positive circulating exosomes levels are different among the studied groups, whereas the levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 do not differ and are within the normal range in the entire population. A: Scatter dot plot representing the percentage of beads bound to glypican-1-positive exosomes (GPC1⁺ crExos) in the control group (CG) (n = 8), mucinous cystic lesions (MCLs) (n = 40), hereditary risk (HR) (n = 20) and new-late onset diabetes mellitus (NLOD) (n = 20), (Mann-Whitney U Test, ^aP < 0.02, ^bP = 0.005, ^cP < 0.001); B: Scatter dot plot representing exosomes concentration measured by nanoparticle tracking analysis depicting the number of exosomes/0.666 mL serum derived from CG (n = 8), MCL (n = 40), HR (n = 20), and NLOD (n = 20) donors (Mann-Whitney U Test, ^bP = 0.005, ^cP < 0.001); C: Scatter dot plot representing exosomes mode size distribution determined by nanoparticle tracking analysis from CG (n = 8), MCL (n = 40), HR (n = 20), and NLOD (n = 20) donors (Mann-Whitney U Test, ^dP = 0.018, ^eP = 0.04); D: Scatter dot plot representing the serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 concentration (U/mL) as determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay in CG (n = 8), MCL (n = 40), HR (n = 20), and NLOD (n = 20), (Kruskal-Wallis Test, P = NS). Data are shown as the median ± interquartile range. NS: Non-significant; GPC1: Glypican-1; CA 19-9: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9; crExos: Circulating exosomes.