title: Expression of prostate-specific membrane antigen in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: prognostic value?
abstract: The expression of Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) mRNA was assessed in the normal bladder urothelium (n = 9), transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) specimens (n = 52), TCC-derived cell lines (n = 3), and preoperative blood samples from TCC patients (n = 27). Specific PSMA mRNA was found in 100% of normal and malignant tissues and two cell lines. PSMA protein was detected in normal (n = 3) and malignant tissues (n = 4). Using a PSMA-specific substrate, PSMA enzymatic activity was found in two bladder cell lines and correlated with immunostaining. Seven of the 27 TCC preoperative blood samples were positive by reverse transcription-PCR. These preliminary results, obtained on a nonrandomized cohort of patients, correlated with tumor invasion (positive RT-PCR: 0% for pT < or = 2 versus 41% for pT > or = 3) and 2-year survival rate (81% in the PSMA-negative group versus 29% in the PSMA-positive group). Although the clinical usefulness of this assay requires confirmation in larger prospective randomized trials, current preliminary results suggest that a blood-borne PSMA mRNA PCR assay may be a useful tool to predict a poor outcome in TCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Saint-Luc Clinical University, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. gala@lbcm.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gala
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loric
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guiot
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Denmeade
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gady
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brasseur
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heusterspreute
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eschwège
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Nayer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Cangh
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tombal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002268:Carboxypeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; C473848:FOLH1 protein, human; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II