Intracellular levels of SGP-2 (Clusterin) correlate with tumor grade in prostate cancer.
Our previous observations in LNCaP cells in vitro demonstrated an association between apoptotic cell death resistance and SGP-2 (Clusterin) overexpression. Accordingly, we hypothesized that high levels of cellular SGP-2 would aid in identifying biologically aggressive prostate cancer cells with unique survival advantages. To test this hypothesis, 40 archival radical prostatectomy and/or biopsy specimens of varying grades of prostate cancer were subjected to immunohistochemical SGP-2 staining. The resulting epithelial stains were quantified subjectively on a scale of 1-3 by four independent observers. Benign prostatic epithelial cells from young donors served as controls and showed a consistently weak staining intensity. In contrast, prostate cancer specimens showed varying degrees of staining intensity that correlated with a Gleason pattern (P = 0.006). This correlation supports the hypothesis that protection from apoptotic death may account, in part, for biologically aggressive tumor behavior.
Steinberg
J
J
Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Oyasu
R
R
Lang
S
S
Sintich
S
S
Rademaker
A
A
Lee
C
C
Kozlowski
J M
JM
Sensibar
J A
JA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D051152:Clusterin; D003720:Densitometry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495242:CLU protein, human; D051152:Clusterin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins