b-catenin expression and claudin expression pattern as prognostic factors of prostatic cancer progression

• Published in: BJU international 2010-03, Vol.105 (5), p.716-722
• Main Authors: Szasz, Attila M, Nyirady, Peter, Majoros, Attila, Szendroi, Attila, Szucs, Miklos, Szekely, Eszter, Tokes, Anna-Maria, Romics, Imre, Kulka, Janina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clostridium perfringens
• ISSN: 1464-4096
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2009.08808.x

OBJECTIVETo investigate the patterns of expression of the junctional proteins b-catenin and claudins in different prognostic groups of patients with prostatic cancer, to determine their value as prognostic markers.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe evaluated the samples of 30 patients who had a radical prostatectomy for organ-confined cancer (pT2N0M0), men with clinically advanced cancer, and a control group with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Using immunohistochemistry applied to tissue microarrays, each group was evaluated for claudin-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -7, -8 and -10, and b-catenin expression.RESULTSThere were differences among the three groups in the expression of claudin-1 (P = 0.001), -2 (P = 0.014), -3 (P = 0.027), -4 (P = 0.001), -8 (P = 0.001) and b-catenin (P = 0.002), regardless of Gleason score. By contrast, claudin-5, -7 and -10 patterns were not significantly different among the groups. Furthermore, claudin-1 (P = 0.014) and -4 (P = 0.004) could be used to distinguish between those patients who had metastases and those who did not.CONCLUSIONSThe pattern of claudin expression could be a novel diagnostic marker in re-classifying adenocarcinomas, and an additional sensitive predictive factor for a clinically poor prognosis. Our results suggest that patients with organ-confined and advanced cancer are subsets with distinct claudin expression profiles, and that claudin-4 is related to cellular differentiation in prostate cancer, which is not only the receptor molecule for the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, and thus a theoretical future therapeutic target for prostate cancer, but also a marker of progression.