CD24 expression is a significant predictor of PSA relapse and poor prognosis in low grade or organ confined prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
The prognostic impact of tumor grading and staging is markedly reduced in organ confined or moderately differentiated prostate cancer, which underscores the importance of new prognostic markers. Evaluating public expression data of prostate cancer, we found an upregulation of the candidate gene CD24.


METHODS
We examined immunohistochemically the expression of CD24 protein in 31 nodal metastases and 102 adenocarcinomas of the prostate and correlated our findings to clinicopathological parameters.


RESULTS
CD24 expression was found in 48% of primary prostate cancer cases and in 68% of lymph node metastases. Kaplan Meier curves and Cox regression analysis showed that CD24 expression was strongly linked to significantly earlier disease progression (relative risk = 3.2), which was especially pronounced in organ confined, or moderately differentiated primary prostate tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that CD24 is an important prognostic tissue marker for prostate cancer which could help to define patients of low or high risk of recurrence.
Kristiansen
Glen
G
Institute of Pathology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany. glen.kristiansen@charite.de
Pilarsky
Christian
C
Pervan
Janja
J
Stürzebecher
Burkhard
B
Stephan
Carsten
C
Jung
Klaus
K
Loening
Stefan
S
Rosenthal
Andre
A
Dietel
Manfred
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015854:Up-Regulation
D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051927:CD24 Antigen; C497889:CD24 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen