title: Diagnostic Value of ERG in Prostate Needle Biopsies Containing Minute Cancer Foci.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate carcinoma (PC) is the second most diagnosed cancer in men population worldwide. The small amount of the tissue in prostate needle biopsy is often sufficient for the correct interpretation. Novel antibodies, as ERG, could add to the diagnostic value of IHC study in analysing difficult core biopsies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to establish a diagnostic use of ERG in a work-up of prostate needle biopsies containing minute PC, individually and in combination with AMACR/34βE12.
  
  
  METHODS
  From total number of 1710 consecutive prostate needle biopsies based on HE stain 114 biopsies containing minute PC. Selected biopsies were incubated with anti-ERG, AMACR and 34βE12 antibodies using immunohistochemical technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 98 selected biopsies, 57 showed positive and 41 negative ERG staining. AMACR staining was positively expressed in 86 of the cases and completely absent in remaining 12. In 9 of the AMACR-negative cases the final diagnosis was establish by manifestation of ERG expression in the tumour foci. 95 of the biopsies demonstrated lack of 34βE12 expression and only 3 cases showed weak patchy staining. Among these cases 2 were ERG-positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERG antibody could be especially helpful in the cases with controversial expression of AMACR and 34βE12.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Clinical Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 15A Vasil Aprilov Blvd., 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Svitlana Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Bachurska
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Clinical Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 15A Vasil Aprilov Blvd., 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Dmitriy G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Staykov
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Ivan V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Bakardzhiev
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Petar A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Antonov
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Clinical Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 15A Vasil Aprilov Blvd., 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Veselin T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Belovezhdov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000097:blood; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C121278:CK-34 beta E12; C072312:ERG protein, human; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D007633:Keratins; C549870:KLK3 protein, human; D007610:Kallikreins; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases; C108352:alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase
keywords: 34βE12; AMACR; ERG; prostate carcinoma