## 3 Results
### Correlation between the Expression of _SATB1_, _Smad3_, _Ezrin_ and _CTNNB1_ in TCGA Cohort  
Spearman correlation coefficient statistics uncovered strong positive correlations between _SMAD3_ and _EZR_ (r = 0.757; \(p<0.0001\)) as well as between _CTNNB1_ and _SMAD3_ (r = 0.606, \(p\) = 0.0049). Moreover, a moderate positive and significant association was found between the expression of _CTNNB1_ and _EZR_ (r = 0.512, \(p<0.0001\)). A weak positive and significant association was also confirmed between the expression of _SATB1_ and _CTNNB1_ (r = 0.244, \(p\) = 0.001). There were no other connections between studied mRNAs. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Variables**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**\(n\) (\%)**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**SATB1 Expression**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**SPAUC**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**SMAD3 Expression**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**\(p\) Value**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**EZR Expression**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**\(p\) Value**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**CTNNB1**} \\  & & & & & **Low** & & & **Low** & & **Low** & & **High** & **Low** & **High** \\  & & \(n=71\) & \(n=106\) & & \(n=74\) & \(n=103\) & & \(n=32\) & \(n=145\) & & & **\(n=57\)** & \(n=120\) \\ \hline Age (years) & & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ (3,33) & (33.09) & (66.10) & 0.26 & (37.29) & (62.71) & 0.42 & (18.64) & (81.36) & \(>\)0.99 & (25.41) & (74.58) & 0.23 \\ \(>\)60 & (66.67) & (43.22) & (56.78) & & (44.07) & (55.93) & & (17.80) & (82.20) & & (35.59) & (64.41) & \\ Gender & & \(97\) & 40 & 57 & & 41 & 56 & & & & & & \\ Male (54.80) & (41.24) & (58.76) & 0.76 & (42.27) & (57.73) & \(>\)0.99 & (20.62) & (79.38) & 0.43 & (30.93) & (69.07) & 0.75 \\ Female & 80 & 31 & 49 & & 33 & 47 & & 12 & 68 & & & & & \\ Grading (45.20) & (38.75) & (61.25) & & (41.25) & (68.75) & & (15.00) & (85.00) & (33.75) & (66.25) & \\ G1 & 31 & 13 & 18 & & 19 & 12 & 11 & 20 & 18 & 13 & \\ G1 & (17.51) & (41.94) & (58.06) & 0.93 & (61.29) & (38.71) & (35.48) & (64.52) & (58.06) & (41.94) & \\ G2 & 94 & 38 & 56 & & 40 & 54 & **0.012** & 15 & 79 & **0.020** & 27 & 67 & **0.001** \\ (53.12) & (40.43) & (59.57) & & (42.55) & (57.45) & (15.96) & (84.04) & (28.72) & (71.28) & \\ G3-G4 & 50 & 19 & 31 & & 14 & 36 & & 44 & 10 & 40 & \\ (28.25) & (38.00) & (62.00) & & (28.00) & (72.00) & & (88.00) & (20.00) & (80.00) & \\ pT status & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ T1-T2 & 30 & 12 & 18 & & 18 & 12 & & 10 & 20 & 16 & 14 & \\ (16.95) & (40.00) & (60.00) & \(>\)0.99 & (60.00) & (40.00) & **0.026** & (33.33) & (66.67) & **0.0157** & (53.33) & (46.67) & **0.009** \\ T3-T4 & 145 & 57 & 88 & & 54 & 91 & 20 & 125 & 39 & 106 & \\ (81.92) & (39.31) & (60.69) & & (37.24) & (62.76) & & (13.79) & (86.21) & (26.90) & (73.10) & \\ pN status & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ N0 & 49 & 26 & 42 & & 26 & 23 & 12 & 37 & 26 & 23 & \\ (27.68) & (53.06) & (85.71) & **0.026** & (53.06) & (46.94) & 0.06 & (24.49) & (75.51) & 0.11 & (53.06) & (46.94) & **0.0002** \\ N1 & 123 & 42 & 81 & & 45 & 78 & 17 & 106 & 28 & 95 & \\ (63.84) & (34.15) & (65.85) & & (36.59) & (63.41) & & (13.82) & (86.18) & & (22.76) & (77.24) & \\ TNM stage & & & & & & & & & & & & \\ I & 21 & 10 & 11 & & 15 & & & & & & & \\  & (11.86) & (47.61) & (52.38) & 0.56 & (71.43) & 6 (28.57) & & 9 (42.86) & (57.14) & (71.43) & 6 (28.57) & \\ II & 146 & 55 & 91 & 0.53 & 93 & **0.008** & 18 & 128 & 38 & 108 & \\  & (82.49) & (37.67) & (62.33) & & (36.30) & (63.70) & & (12.33) & (87.67) & & (26.03) & (73.97) & \\ III-IV & 8 (4.52) & 4 (50.00) & 4 (50.00) & & 4 (50.00) & 4 (50.00) & & 3 (37.50) & 5 (62.50) & & 2 (25.00) & 6 (75.00) & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: mRNA expression and its relationship with clinicopathological features of PAC patients in TCGA cohort.