The expression of the VLA-integrins alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5 and alpha 6 was studied immunohistochemically in tissue samples from ductal pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis, normal pancreas and in 8 cell lines of ductal human pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, adhesion assays on purified extracellular matrix (ECM)-compounds were used to define the function of alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5 and alpha 6 in pancreatic cancer cells. Immunohistochemically, VLA alpha 2 and VLA alpha 6 were moderately to strongly expressed on the basal surface of ductal and acinar cells in normal pancreatic tissue, while centro-acinar cells predominantly expressed VLA alpha 3 and VLA alpha 5. Pancreatic carcinoma showed intense staining for VLA alpha 2 and VLA alpha 6 with a diffuse distribution on the cell surface. The redistribution of VLA alpha 2 and VLA alpha 6 may reflect a loss of spatial arrangement of tumor cells and their ability to interact randomly with extracellular matrix structures during invasion and metastasis. Expression of VLA alpha 3 and VLA alpha 5 in pancreatic carcinoma was heterogeneous, ranging from moderate to weak, and was lost in about 50% of the cells. Two pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (PC 3, PC 44) were further investigated in adhesion assays. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against alpha 2 (GI 9, 10-G-11) were able to inhibit tumor-cell adhesion to collagen IV (59%-72%) in both cell lines. A MAb against alpha 6 (GoH3) inhibited tumor-cell adhesion to laminin (52%-86%) in both cell lines. These results suggest that alpha 2 is a collagen-binding site and alpha 6 a laminin-binding site in pancreatic cancer cells. The anti-alpha 5-MAb SAM I inhibited adhesion of PC3 to fibronectin (76%), being without effect in PC44. Adhesion of both cell lines to fibronectin was almost completely inhibited by RGDS (85%-88%). Thus, alpha 5 is a functionally important fibronectin binding site in some pancreatic carcinoma cells, suggesting further RGD-dependent fibronectin binding sites in other pancreatic carcinoma cells.