TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion prevalence and class are significantly different in prostate cancer of Caucasian, African-American and Japanese patients.
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer (PCa) exhibits significant differences in prevalence and mortality among different ethnic groups. The underlying genetics is not well understood. TMPRSS2-ERG fusion is a common recurrent chromosomal aberration in PCa and is however not studied among different ethnic groups. We examined the prevalence and class of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in PCa from Caucasian, African-American, and Japanese patients.


METHODS
A tissue microarray of PCa from 42 Caucasians, 64 African-Americans, and 44 Japanese patients who underwent radical prostatectomies (RP) was studied for TMPRSS2-ERG fusion using a multicolor interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization assay for ERG gene break-apart.


RESULTS
TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion was present in 50% (21/42) of Caucasians, 31.3% (20/64) of African-Americans, and 15.9% (7/44) of Japanese (P=0.003). The gene fusion through translocation, deletion, or both occurred in 61.9% (13/21), 38.1% (8/21), and 0% (0/21) in Caucasians, 20% (4/20), 60% (12/20), and 20% (4/20) in African-Americans, and 71.4% (5/7), 28.6% (2/7), and 0% (0/7) in Japanese patients (P=0.02). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion correlated with the ethnicity (P=0.03), marginally correlated with the pathologic stage (P=0.06), but not other clinicopathologic parameters, including age, preoperative PSA levels, and Gleason score.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence and class of TMPRSS2-ERG are significantly different in PCa of Caucasian, African-American, and Japanese patients. Future studies of the molecular pathways implicated in TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion may shed light on the disparity in prevalence and mortality of PCa among different ethnic groups and help design better prevention and treatment strategies.
Magi-Galluzzi
Cristina
C
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Tsusuki
Toyonori
T
Elson
Paul
P
Simmerman
Kelly
K
LaFargue
Chris
C
Esgueva
Raquel
R
Klein
Eric
E
Rubin
Mark A
MA
Zhou
Ming
M
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D050939:Gene Fusion; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D044465:White People
C072312:ERG protein, human; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C515553:TMPRSS2-ERG fusion protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C421305:TMPRSS2 protein, human