title: Expression of pS2 in prostate cancer correlates with grade and Chromogranin A expression but not with stage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The biological potential of prostate cancer is extremely variable. Particular interest is focused on markers not expressed in normal prostatic tissues. pS2 protein expression has been demonstrated in a range of malignant tissues in an oestrogen-independent pathway. Recently, it has been demonstrated that pS2, in prostate cancer, is closely associated with neuro-endocrine differentiation. In the present study, we have analyzed, the potential of Neuro-endocrine and pS2 (TFF1) expression in human prostate cancer determined by immunohistochemistry, in primary adenocarcinoma of the prostate and attempted to correlate this with the clinico-pathologic features of the patient and neuroendocrine expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five malignant prostatic specimens from primary adenocarcinoma, obtained from either transurethral resection of prostate or radical retropubic prostatectomy, from 84 patients between January 1991 and December 1998 were evaluated by immuno-histochemical staining using selected neuroendocrine tumor markers i.e. chromogranin A (CgA) and estrogen inducible pS2 protein. The relationship between the expressions of pS2 was studied with CgA expression, clinical stage (TNM) and tumour grade (Gleason system). Fischer exact test was used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 70 + /- 9.2 years. The pS2 expression was seen in 10% of primary prostate cancers. Worsening histological grade was associated with greater expression of pS2 (p < 0.001). The expression of CgA was noted in 31% of malignant prostatic tissue. In pS2, positive cases 2/3rd of patients were also CgA +ve. However, there was no significant correlation between pS2 expression and the stage of disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  pS2 expression in prostate cancer significantly correlates with histological grade and the neuroendocrine differentiation, as demonstrated by Chromogranin A expression but not with the clinical stage of the disease. However, the overall expression was low consequently; no definitive conclusions can be drawn. We feel further work is required in a larger series, both in primary and metastatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. hammad.ather@aku.edu
authors.forename: M Hammad
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ather
authors.forename: Farhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Nuzhat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faruqui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Israr
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pervez
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C506150:CHGA protein, human; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins; C051838:TFF1 protein, human; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins