Loss of expression of transforming growth factor beta type I and type II receptors correlates with tumor grade in human prostate cancer tissues.
Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a potential regulator of prostate cancer cell growth that signals through a heteromeric complex composed of type I and type II receptors. In the present study, an attempt was made to establish a correlation between expression of TGF-beta receptors and tumor grade in archival human prostate cancer tissues. To this end, immunohistochemical studies for TGF-beta receptors were carried out on 32 cases of human prostate cancer and 8 samples of benign human prostate. In both benign and malignant human prostate tissues, immunoreactivity for both type I and type II receptors was detected predominantly in epithelial cells. In addition, there was an inverse correlation between the loss of expression of TGF-beta1 type I and type II receptors and the tumor grade. Of the 32 prostate cancer cases screened, staining was completely absent in four samples for type II receptor (P < 0.05) and eight samples for type I receptor (P < 0.025). In contrast, all eight samples of benign prostate tissues investigated in this study showed strong staining for both type I and type II receptors. These results, taken together, indicate that human prostate cancer cells frequently have loss of expression of TGF-beta type I and/or type II receptors. Furthermore, these observations provide a potential mechanism for prostate cancer cells to escape the growth-inhibitory effect of TGF-beta.
Kim
I Y
IY
Department of Urology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Ahn
H J
HJ
Zelner
D J
DJ
Shaw
J W
JW
Lang
S
S
Kato
M
M
Oefelein
M G
MG
Miyazono
K
K
Nemeth
J A
JA
Kozlowski
J M
JM
Lee
C
C
D030201:Activin Receptors, Type I; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D030201:Activin Receptors, Type I; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II