Marked gene transcript level alterations occur early during radical prostatectomy.
OBJECTIVE
Gene expression analyses have become an important approach to understand the biology of cancer. However, transcript level patterns and RNA quality could rapidly change in response to ischemic and mechanical stress. Studies have shown that this occurs both perioperatively and after surgical removal of organs.


METHODS
To better understand the relative importance of perioperative and postoperative gene expression changes, we performed quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions on the transcripts of 91 cancer-related genes from normal and cancerous prostate tissues from 10 patients at eight different time points during surgical manipulation and after removal of the prostate.


RESULTS
The mRNA levels of 8 (EGR1, p21, KRT17, PIM1, S100P, TNFRSF, WFDC2, and TRIM29) of 91 genes changed significantly with time of surgery in normal and tumor tissue. Remarkably, all eight genes were up-regulated, a reaction that was most prominent during the early intraoperative period. Additional changes occurred but were much less prominent during the first postoperative hour.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results substantially challenge the utility of immediate postoperative tissue sampling. At least for prostate cancer, the data suggest that preoperative tissue collection by core biopsies is optimal for studying molecular changes in normal and neoplastic prostate tissues.
Schlomm
Thorsten
T
Martini-Clinic, Prostate Cancer Center, University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. tschlomm@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Näkel
Esther
E
Lübke
Andreas
A
Buness
Andreas
A
Chun
Felix K-H
FK
Steuber
Thomas
T
Graefen
Markus
M
Simon
Ronald
R
Sauter
Guido
G
Poustka
Annemarie
A
Huland
Hartwig
H
Erbersdobler
Andreas
A
Sültmann
Holger
H
Hellwinkel
Olaf J C
OJ
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015854:Up-Regulation
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012333:RNA, Messenger