title: The role of secreted frizzled-related protein 2 expression in prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Improved prostate cancer (PCa)-specific biomarkers are urgently required to distinguish between indolent and aggressive disease, in order to avoid overtreatment. In this study, we investigated the prostatic tissue expression of secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP)-2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following immunohistochemical analysis on PCa tissue microarrays with samples from 216 patients, strong/moderate SFRP-2 expression was observed in epithelial cells of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and negative/weak SFRP-2 expression was observed in the majority of tumour epithelia. However, among Gleason grade 5 carcinomas, 40% showed strong/moderate SFRP-2 expression and 60% showed negative SFRP-2 expression in epithelial cells. Further microscopic evaluation of Gleason grade 5 tumours revealed different morphological patterns, corresponding with differential SFRP-2 expression. The first subgroup (referred to as Type A) appeared to have a morphologically solid growth pattern, whereas the second subgroup (referred to as Type B) appeared to have a more diffuse pattern. Furthermore, 100% (4/4) of Type A patients experienced biochemical recurrence, as compared with 0% (0/6) of Type B patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results imply: (i) that there is a loss of SFRP-2 expression from benign to malignant prostate glands; and (ii) differential SFRP-2 expression among two possible subgroups of Gleason grade 5 tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, RCSI Education & Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. gillianohurley@rcsi.ie
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Hurley
authors.forename: Antoinette S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loftus
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: Orla
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sheils
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lawler
authors.forename: Elaine W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Kay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D061346:Laser Capture Microdissection; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D000094742:Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C109618:SFRP2 protein, human; D000094742:Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins