title: Increased aPKC Expression Correlates with Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Gleason Score and Tumor Stage in the Japanese Population.
abstract: Background. Levels of the protein kinase aPKC have been previously correlated with prostate cancer prognosis in a British cohort. However, prostate cancer incidence and progression rates, as well as genetic changes in this disease, show strong ethnic variance, particularly in Asian populations. Objective. The aim of this study was to validate association of aPKC expression with prostatic adenocarcinoma stages in a Japanese cohort. Methods. Tissue microarrays consisting of 142 malignant prostate cancer cases and 21 benign prostate tissues were subject to immunohistological staining for aPKC. aPKC staining intensity was scored by three independent pathologists and categorized as absent (0), dim (1+), intermediate (2+), and bright (3+). aPKC staining intensities were correlated with Gleason score and tumor stage. Results. Increased aPKC staining was observed in malignant prostate cancer, in comparison to benign tissue. Additionally, aPKC staining levels correlated with Gleason score and tumor stage. Our results extend the association of aPKC with prostate cancer to a Japanese population and establish the suitability of aPKC as a universal prostate cancer biomarker that performs consistently across ethnicities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Gilbert, AZ 85234, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan.
authors.forename: Bungo
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4614-9882
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Furusato
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Arizona and Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ 85724-5044, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nagle
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, The University of Arizona and Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ 85724-5044, USA.
authors.forename: Sourav
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5990-8708
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh