Usefulness of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha in evaluating the prostatic adenocarcinoma viability following neoadjuvant hormone therapy.
BACKGROUND
In prostatic adenocarcinomas (PAs), the androgen up-regulates hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha). It has been reported that the regulation of HIF-1 alpha would become a therapeutic strategy for PAs. This study was designed to elucidate whether or not HIF-1 alpha expression would be associated with PA recurrence after neoadjuvant hormone therapy (NHT).


METHODS
The 50 radical prostatectomy specimens after NHT were examined as well as needle biopsy specimens before NHT using immunohistochemistry for HIF-1 alpha.


RESULTS
The therapeutic effects of 50 cases with NHT were assessed as good (20 cases) or poor (30 cases). The recurrence of PA monitored by the serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels occurred in 21 cases (42%). The hypoxic status was evaluated to be divided into two categories: weak (16 cases) or strong (34 cases). The recurrence ratio was 30% (6/20) of cases with good response and 50% (15/30) of cases with poor response (p<0.05). HIF-1 alpha expression profiles were as follows: recurrent cases, weak, 19% (4/21); strong, 81% (17/21) (p<0.05); and non-recurrent cases, weak, 41% (12/29); strong, 59% (17/29) (NS). Compared to PAs with weak HIF-1 alpha expression, PAs with strong HIF-1 alpha expression showed higher PSA levels (12.1 ng/mL vs. 25.0 ng/mL, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
HIF-1 alpha is expected to be useful for detection of the viability of PAs after NHT and also for prediction of their clinical outcome. In addition, the expression may contribute to histological identification of the carcinoma cells.
Yasuda
Masanori
M
Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical University, International Medical Center, Japan. m_yasuda@saitama-med.ac.jp
Shimizu
Michio
M
Fujita
Mariko
M
Miyazawa
Masaki
M
Tang
Xiaoyan
X
Kajiwara
Hiroshi
H
Osamura
Robert Yoshiyuki
RY
Shoji
Sunao
S
Tokunaga
Masatoshi
M
Terachi
Toshiro
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen