Expression of Snail transcription factor in prostatic adenocarcinoma in Egypt: correlation with Maspin protein expression and clinicopathologic variables.
BACKGROUND
Snail transcription factor and Maspin tumor suppressor serpin are involved in the regulation of progression, invasion and metastasis of many human malignancies. However, there is very limited data in the literature about their role in prostatic adenocarcinoma. The present study was designed to investigate Snail and Maspin expression, their interrelationship and their relationship to different clinicopathologic variables in clinically detectable prostatic adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
Tissue sections from 110 resected prostatic lesions distributed as 80 cases of prostatic adenocarcinoma and 30 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were evaluated for Snail and Maspin proteins expression by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Snail protein expression was detected in 53.8% of prostatic adenocarcinomas versus none of BPH cases (p = < 0.001). A significant positive correlation of Snail expression to cancer grade (p = 0.015), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.026) and pTNM stage (p = 0.036). Maspin expression was detected in 36.6% of prostatic adenocarcinomas versus 93.3% of BPH cases (p = < 0.001). A significant negative correlation of Maspin expression to cancer grade (p = 0.007) and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.017). Also detected was a significant negative relationship between Snail and Maspin expression in cancer cases under investigation (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Snail immunohistochemical expression can be promising as a potential prognostic biomarker in prostatic adenocarcinoma since it was significantly associated with clinicopathologic variables of progressive disease. A potential role for Snail in regulating Maspin expression is suggested based on the finding of negative association between Snail and Maspin expression in prostatic adenocarcinoma.
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt.
Ashraf Ishak
AI
Fawzy
Mariana Fathy
MF
Gayyed
Gamal Abd Elhamid
GA
Elsaghir
Mohamed Salah
MS
Elbadry
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D004534:Egypt; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015843:Serpins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C085344:SERPIN-B5; D015843:Serpins; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors
Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Maspin; Snail; clinicopathologic variables; immunohistochemistry; prostatic adenocarcinoma