Expression of immunomodulating genes in prostate cancer and benign prostatic tissue.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of immunomodulating genes in prostate cancer and benign prostatic tissue.


METHODS
We investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, arginase 1, arginase 2, inducible form of nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), programmed death ligand 1 and interleukin 10 in 36 matched pairs of samples from prostate cancer and benign prostatic tissue.


RESULTS
Among the genes analyzed, arginase 2 and COX-2 showed statistically significant up-regulation and down-regulation, respectively, in malignant compared to benign prostate tissue. In addition, arginase 1 was more often present in cancer than benign samples. No significant modulation was detected for the other genes under investigation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that arginine metabolism may be involved in prostate cancer immune response evasion, whereas COX-2 may play a role in pathogenesis. We provide a snapshot of immunosuppressive gene expression at the transcriptional level in the prostate tumor microenvironment.
Reschner
Anca
A
Immune and Gene Therapy Laboratory, Cancer Center Karolinska, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. anca.reschner@ulg.ac.be
Harlin
Helena
H
Laven
Brett
B
Eriksson
Fredrik
F
Pisa
Pavel
P
Egevad
Lars
L
D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001119:Arginase / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011467:Prostate / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015854:Up-Regulation
D015703:Antigens, CD; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; C508609:IL10 protein, human; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D016753:Interleukin-10; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C477631:ARG2 protein, human; D001119:Arginase