Nanowire analysis of cancer-testis antigens as biomarkers of aggressive prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the ability of the nCounter Analysis System, a nanowire technology, to sensitively and accurately detect cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) in men with prostate cancer and correlate them with disease parameters. The clinical implementation of novel biomarkers is necessary to provide for individual disease treatment planning for men with prostate cancer. The CTAs, as cancer-associated biomarkers that may correlate with aggressive disease, have the potential to play an important role.


METHODS
Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded samples were used from men undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. The expression of CTAs along with control genes was measured from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded prostate cancer tissues using real-time polymerase chain reaction and the nCounter assay.


RESULTS
Using a nanowire-based assay, ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression levels of the CTAs CSAG2 and NOL4 were found to be significantly higher in men with Gleason score (GS) 8-10 disease than those with GS ≤4+3 disease. On the contrary, the RNA expression level of PAGE4 was lower in men with GS 8-10 disease than those with GS ≤6 group. This study demonstrates that CTAs can be detected with a nanostring assay that is translatable and that a set of CTAs correlates with the clinical characteristics of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
CTAs represent unique, cancer-associated biomarkers with potential utility in the clinic. The nCounter nanowire technology provides an opportunity to evaluate this panel of CTAs associated with aggressive prostate cancer in a multi-institutional fashion.
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Department of Urology, University of Tokyo.
Sayuri
S
Takahashi
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Takumi
T
Shiraishi
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Nancy
N
Miles
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Bruce J
BJ
Trock
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Prakash
P
Kulkarni
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Electronic address: rhgetzenberg@gmail.com.
Robert H
RH
Getzenberg
D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053770:Nanowires; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor