Periostin is up-regulated in high grade and high stage prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
Expression of periostin is an indicator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer but a detailed analysis of periostin expression in prostate cancer has not been conducted so far.


METHODS
Here, we evaluated periostin expression in prostate cancer cells and peritumoural stroma immunohistochemically in two independent prostate cancer cohorts, including a training cohort (n = 93) and a test cohort (n = 325). Metastatic prostate cancers (n = 20), hormone refractory prostate cancers (n = 19) and benign prostatic tissues (n = 38) were also analyzed.


RESULTS
In total, strong epithelial periostin expression was detectable in 142 of 418 (34.0%) of prostate carcinomas and in 11 of 38 benign prostate glands (28.9%). Increased periostin expression in carcinoma cells was significantly associated with high Gleason score (p < 0.01) and advanced tumour stage (p < 0.05) in the test cohort. Whereas periostin expression was weak or absent in the stroma around normal prostate glands, strong periostin expression in tumour stroma was found in most primary and metastatic prostate cancers. High stromal periostin expression was associated with higher Gleason scores (p < 0.001). There was a relationship between stromal periostin expression and shortened PSA relapse free survival times in the training cohort (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that periostin up-regulation is related to increased tumour aggressiveness in prostate cancer and might be a promising target for therapeutical interventions in primary and metastatic prostate cancer.
Institute for Surgical Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Verena
V
Tischler
Florian R
FR
Fritzsche
Peter J
PJ
Wild
Carsten
C
Stephan
Hans-Helge
HH
Seifert
Marc-Oliver
MO
Riener
Thomas
T
Hermanns
Ashkan
A
Mortezavi
Josefine
J
Gerhardt
Peter
P
Schraml
Klaus
K
Jung
Holger
H
Moch
Alex
A
Soltermann
Glen
G
Kristiansen
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C512835:POSTN protein, human; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen