title: Sarcosine in prostate cancer tissue is not a differential metabolite for prostate cancer aggressiveness and biochemical progression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sarcosine in prostate cancer tissue samples was recently reported to be increased during prostate cancer progression to metastasis and suggested to be a key metabolite of cancer cell invasion and aggressiveness. We reevaluated sarcosine in prostate cancer tissue samples as a potential indicator of tumor aggressiveness, and as a predictor of recurrence-free survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sarcosine in matched samples of malignant and nonmalignant tissue from 92 patients with prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy was measured in the framework of a global metabolite profiling study of prostate cancer by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We related results to age, prostate volume, tumor stage, Gleason score, preoperative prostate specific antigen and biochemical recurrence, defined as a persistent prostate specific antigen increase of greater than 0.2 ng/ml. Nonparametric statistical tests, ROC curves and Kaplan-Meier analyses were done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median sarcosine content in tissue was about 7% higher in matched malignant vs nonmalignant samples, which was significantly. Sarcosine values were not associated with tumor stage (pT2 vs pT3), tumor grade (Gleason score less than 7 vs 7 or greater) or biochemical recurrence. The lack of metastatic tissue samples was a study limitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sarcosine in prostate cancer tissue samples cannot be considered a suitable predictor of tumor aggressiveness or biochemical recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital Charité, University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jentzmik
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lein
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kamlage
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bethan
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D012521:Sarcosine