title: TMPRSS2:ERG gene aberrations may provide insight into pT stage in prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  TMPRSS2:ERG gene aberration may be a novel marker that improves risk stratification of prostate cancer before definitive cancer therapy, but studies have been inconclusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study cohort consisted of 202 operable prostate cancer Slovenian patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. We retrospectively constructed tissue microarrays of their prostatic specimens for fluorescence in situ hybridization, with appropriate signals obtained in 148 patients for subsequent statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following genetic aberrations were found: TMPRSS2:ERG fusion, TMPRSS2 split (a non-ERG translocation) and ERG split (an ERG translocation without involvement of TMPRSS2). TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion happened in 63 patients (42 %), TMPRSS2 split in 12 patients and ERG split in 8 patients. Association was tested between TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion and several clinicopathological variables, i.e., pT stage, extended lymph node dissection status, and Gleason score, correcting for multiple comparisons. Only the association with pT stage was significant at p = 0.05: Of 62 patients with pT3 stage, 34 (55 %) had TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion. In pT3 stage patients, stronger (but not significant) association between eLND status and TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion was detected. We detected TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion in 64 % of the pT3 stage patients where we did not perform an extended lymph node dissection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that it is possible to predict pT3 stage at final histology from TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion at initial core needle biopsy. FISH determination of TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion may be particularly useful for patients scheduled to undergo a radical prostatectomy in order to improve oncological and functional results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, General Hospital Slovenj Gradec, Gosposvetska 1, 2380, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia. zkrst@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Krstanoski
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Genetics, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nadja Kokalj
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Vokac
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Genetics, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Andreja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zagorac
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecology, Department of Gynecological Pathology and Cytology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pospihalj
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Miha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munda
authors.affiliation: Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Saso
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dzeroski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Rastko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Golouh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D050939:Gene Fusion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C072312:ERG protein, human; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C421305:TMPRSS2 protein, human
keywords: FISH; Predicting pT stage; Prostate cancer; Radical prostatectomy; TMPRSS2:ERG fusion