PTEN, ERG, SPINK1, and TFF3 Status and Relationship in a Prostate Cancer Cohort from Jordanian Arab Population

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2024-01, Vol.60 (1), p.174
• Main Authors: Al Bashir, Samir, Alorjani, Mohammed S, Kheirallah, Khalid, Al Hamad, Mohammad, Haddad, Husam K, Al-Dwairy, Ahmad, Bani-Fawwaz, Baha A, Aldaoud, Najla, Halalsheh, Omar, Amawi, Saddam, Matalka, Ismail I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigens; Arabs; Biomarkers; Cell growth; Developing countries; ERG; Genes; Humans; Jordan; Male; Medical prognosis; Patients; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms; Proteins; PTEN; PTEN Phosphohydrolase - genetics; SPINK1; Stains & staining; TFF3; Transcriptional Regulator ERG - genetics; Trefoil Factor-3; Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic - genetics
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010174

: Prognostic biomarkers in prostate cancer (PCa) include PTEN, ERG, SPINK1, and TFF3. Their relationships and patterns of expression in PCa in developing countries, including Jordan, have not yet been investigated. : A tissue microarray (TMA) of PCa patients was taken from paraffin-embedded tissue blocks for 130 patients. PTEN, ERG, SPINK1, and TFF3 expression profiles were examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlated with each other and other clinicopathological factors. : PTEN loss of any degree was observed in 42.9% of PCa cases. ERG and TFF3 were expressed in 59.3% and 46.5% of PCa cases, respectively. SPINK1 expression was observed in 6 out of 104 PCa cases (5.4%). Among all PCa cases ( = 104), 3.8% ( = 4) showed SPINK1+/ERG+ phenotype, 1.9% ( = 2) showed SPINK1+/ERG- phenotype, 56.7% ( = 59) showed SPINK1-/ERG+ phenotype, and 37.5% showed SPINK1-/ERG- phenotype ( = 39). Among ERG positive cases ( = 63), 6.3% were SPINK1 positive. Among SPINK1 positive cases ( = 6), 66.7% were ERG positive. SPINK1 expression was predominantly observed in a subgroup of cancers that expressed TFF3 (6/6). Additionally, a statistically significant loss of PTEN expression was observed from Gleason Score 6 (GS6) (Grade Group 1 (GG1)) to GS9-10 (GG5); ( -value 0.019). : This is the first study to look at the status of the PTEN, ERG, SPINK1, and TFF3 genes in a Jordanian Arab population. Loss of PTEN has been linked to more aggressive prostate cancer with high GSs/GGs. SPINK1 expression was predominantly observed in a subgroup of cancers that expressed TFF3. Our results call for screening these biomarkers for grading and molecular subtyping of the disease.