The role of p53, bcl-2 and E-cadherin expression in predicting biochemical relapse for organ confined prostate cancer in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the prognostic significance of p53, bcl-2 and E-cadherin immunoreactivity for organ confined prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.


METHODS
The medical records on 70 pT2 prostatic adenocarcinomas were analyzed retrospectively. Radical prostatectomy specimens were stained using antip53 (DO7), antibcl-2 (124) (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark) and antiE-cadherin (HECD-1) (R & D Systems, Abingdon, United Kingdom) antibodies. Biochemical relapse was defined as 2 consecutive elevations in serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) higher than 0.2 ng/ml. The prognostic significance of Gleason grade, PSA, and p53, bcl-2 and E-cadherin expression was assessed.


RESULTS
While p53 immunoreactivity was identified in 16 patients (22.9%), only 3 tumors (4.3%) expressed bcl-2. Aberrant E-cadherin expression was noted in 39 tumors (55.7%). At a median followup of 36.5 months 21 patients (30%) experienced biochemical relapse. There was a significantly higher biochemical failure rate in patients with abnormal bcl-2 and E-cadherin expression (log rank test p = 0.024 and 0.003, respectively). On multivariate analysis bcl-2 and E-cadherin contributed independently to the prediction of PSA relapse (p = 0.017 and 0.005, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
We noted that bcl-2 and aberrant E-cadherin expression are independent factors predicting biochemical relapse in stage pT2 prostatic cancers.
Wu
Tony T
TT
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Pathology, Veterens General Hospital-Kaohsiung, 386 Ta-Chung 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Hsu
Yeh-Shen
YS
Wang
Jyh-Seng
JS
Lee
Ying-Huei
YH
Huang
Jong-Khing
JK
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
D015820:Cadherins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen