title: Osteoclasts are active in bone forming metastases of prostate cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bone forming metastases are a common and disabling consequence of prostate cancer (CaP). The potential role of osteoclast activity in CaP bone metastases is not completely explained. In this study, we investigated ex vivo whether the osteolytic activity is present and how it is ruled in CaP patients with bone forming metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six patients affected by newly diagnosed CaP and healthy controls were enrolled. At diagnosis, 37 patients had a primary tumour only, while 9 had primary tumour and concomitant bone forming metastases. In all patients there was no evidence of metastasis to other non-bone sites. For all patients and controls we collected blood and urinary samples. We evaluated patients' bone homeostasis; we made peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures to detect in vitro osteoclastogenesis; we dosed serum expression of molecules involved in cancer induced osteoclatogenesis, such as RANKL, OPG, TNF-alpha, DKK-1 and IL-7. By Real-Time PCR, we quantified DKK-1 and IL-7 gene expression on micro-dissected tumour and healthy tissue sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CaP bone metastatic patients showed bone metabolism disruption with increased bone resorption and formation compared to non-bone metastatic patients and healthy controls. The CaP PBMC cultures showed an enhanced osteoclastogenesis in bone metastatic patients, due to an increase of RANKL/OPG ratio. We detected increased DKK-1 serum levels and tissue gene expression in patients compared to controls. IL-7 resulted high in patients' sera, but its tissue gene expression was comparable in patients and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated ex vivo that osteoclastogenesis is an active mechanism in tumour nesting of bone forming metastatic cancer and that serum DKK-1 levels are increased in CaP patients, suggesting to deeply investigate its role as tumour marker.
authors.affiliation: CeRMS (Center for Experimental Research and Medical Studies) University and A.O.U. San Giovanni Battista, Turin, Italy. roato78@libero.it
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roato
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Amelio
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gorassini
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonello
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delsedime
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tizzani
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Libero
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Isaia
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferracini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C501126:DKK1 protein, human; C508605:IL7 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015851:Interleukin-7; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; C506030:TNFRSF11B protein, human; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human