title: Usefulness of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha in evaluating the prostatic adenocarcinoma viability following neoadjuvant hormone therapy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical University, International Medical Center, Japan. m_yasuda@saitama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kajiwara
authors.forename: Robert Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Osamura
authors.forename: Sunao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terachi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen