title: Biobanking after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy: a quality assessment of providing prostate tissue for RNA studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  RNA quality is believed to decrease with ischaemia time, and therefore open radical prostatectomy has been advantageous in allowing the retrieval of the prostate immediately after its devascularization. In contrast, robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (RALP) require the completion of several operative steps before the devascularized prostate can be extirpated, casting doubt on the validity of this technique as a source for obtaining prostatic tissue. We seek to establish the integrity of our biobanking process by measuring the RNA quality of specimens derived from robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe our biobanking process and report the RNA quality of prostate specimens using advanced electrophoretic techniques (RNA Integrity Numbers, RIN). Using multivariate regression analysis we consider the impact of various clinicopathological correlates on RNA integrity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our biobanking process has been used to acquire 1709 prostates, and allows us to retain approximately 40% of the prostate specimen, without compromising the histopathological evaluation of patients. We collected 186 samples from 142 biobanked prostates, and demonstrated a mean RIN of 7.25 (standard deviation 1.64) in 139 non-stromal samples, 73% of which had a RIN ≥ 7. Multivariate regression analysis revealed cell type--stromal/epithelial and benign/malignant--and prostate volume to be significant predictors of RIN, with unstandardized coefficients of 0.867(p = 0.001), 1.738(p < 0.001) and -0.690(p = 0.009) respectively. A mean warm ischaemia time of 120 min (standard deviation 30 min) was recorded, but multivariate regression analysis did not demonstrate a relationship with RIN within the timeframe of the RALP procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate the robustness of our protocol--representing the concerted efforts of dedicated urology and pathology departments--in generating RNA of sufficient concentration and quality, without compromising the histopathological evaluation and diagnosis of patients. The ischaemia time associated with our prostatectomy technique using a robotic platform does not negatively impact on biobanking for RNA studies.
authors.affiliation: Lefrak Center of Robotic Surgery & Institute for Prostate Cancer, Brady Foundation Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Harveer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dev
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rickman
authors.forename: Prasanna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sooriakumaran
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitabayashi
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Esqueva
authors.forename: Kyung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Ashutosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tewari
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000592:standards*; D012371:Robotics
chemical_list: D012313:RNA