Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors as well as a frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. The test of serum markers has dramatically improved the early diagnosis of PCa, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely identified. Long noncoding RNA (IncRNA) is emerging as a new player in the PCa paradigm demonstrating its potential roles in both oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. LncRNA is frequently aberrantly expressed in the majority of PCa cases. This review highlights recent findings of the aberrant expression of lncRNA in PCa and discusses its novel roles in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, metastasis, and potential clinical treatment of PCa.
Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; metabolism

MicroRNAs are a kind of small non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules that negatively regulate the gene expression by binding to imperfect complementary sites in the 3' untranslated region of targeted mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level. Aberrant expressions of some miRNAs like miR-221/222, miR-146a and miR-125b have been found to be significantly associated with androgen-independent progression of prostate cancer. By analyzing the aberrant expressions and regulation mechanisms of miRNAs in cell lines, tissues and peripheral blood samples, we hope to provide a new theoretic base for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.
Androgens ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism

Despite great progress in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer, this disease remains an incredible health and economic burden. Although androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a key role in the development and progression of prostate cancer, aberrations in other molecular pathways also contribute to the disease, making it essential to identify and develop drugs against novel targets, both for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. One promising target is the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) protein. PPARγ was originally thought to act as a tumor suppressor in prostate cells because agonist ligands inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells; however, additional studies found that PPARγ agonists inhibit cell growth independent of PPARγ. Furthermore, PPARγ expression increases with cancer grade/stage, which would suggest that it is not a tumor suppressor but instead that PPARγ activity may play a role in prostate cancer development and/or progression. Indeed, two new studies, taking vastly different, unbiased approaches, have identified PPARγ as a target in prostate cancer and suggest that PPARγ inhibition might be useful in prostate cancer prevention and treatment. These findings could lead to a new therapeutic weapon in the fight against prostate cancer.
Humans ; Male ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of perforin and granzyme-B in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and the clinical significance. METHODS: The expressions of perforin and granzyme-B in PBL were detected by fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results of perforin and granzyme-B expression were compared among patients with PCa (n=60), patients with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia, n=40) and healthy controls (n=20). RESULTS: Th e expressions of perforin and granzyme-B in patients with PCa were significantly lower than that in patients with BPH or that in the healthy controls (P<0.05), respectively. Furthermore, in PCa patients with low pathological grade, the expressions of perforin and granzyme-B in PBL was statistically higher than that in patients with high pathological grade (P<0.05). The expressions of perforin and granzyme-B in PCa patients at high clinical stage was statistically lower than that in PCa patients at low clinical stage (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that development and progression of PCa might be associated with poor immune status of patients.
Case-Control Studies ; Granzymes ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; enzymology ; Male ; Perforin ; metabolism ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and significance of Clusterin in normal prostate, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.

METHODSClusterin expression in samples of 12 normal prostate, 15 BPH, and 56 prostate cancer were studied by immunohistochemical stain.

RESULTSOf 83 cases, 67 are positive or weak positive (81%). The rate of positive or weak positive for normal prostate, BPH and prostate cancer was 17% (2/12), 73% (11/15), and 96% (54/56) respectively. The expression level of Clusterin in prostate cancer was much higher than in normal prostate (t = 8.82, P < 0.01). BPH (t = 7.63, P < 0.01) was related positively with pathological grade (r = 0.649, P < 0.01) and stage (r = 0.609, P < 0.01) of prostate cancer.

CONCLUSIONClusterin may play an important role in the biological characteristics of prostate cancer by the anti-apoptosis pathway.

Apoptosis ; Clusterin ; metabolism ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Prostate ; metabolism ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the expressions of trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) in prostate cancer (PCa) and prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and their clinical significance.

METHODSUsing immunohistochemistry, we detected the expressions of TFF1 and TFF3 in the prostatic tissues of 89 cases of PCa, 50 cases of PIN, and 65 cases of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and evaluated their clinical significance.

RESULTSThe positive rates of TFF1 and TFF3 expressions were 77. 53% and 48. 31% in PCa and 66.00% and 30.00% in PIN, significantly higher than 49.23% and 13. 85% in BPH (P <0. 05). The expression of TFF1 was not correlated with Gleason score (P >0. 05), while that of TFF3 was significantly higher in the PCa cases with Gleason score ≤7 than in those with Gleason score > 7 (70. 00% vs 42. 03%, P <0. 05). No significant correlation was observed between TFF1 and TFF3 expressions in PCa (P >0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of TFF1 and TFF3 may contribute to the occurrence and progression of PCa, and therefore could be used as laboratory indexes in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of PCa.

Disease Progression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Trefoil Factor-1 ; Trefoil Factor-3 ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; metabolism

Amine-specific isobaric tagging (iTRAQ) reagents, as a new class of isobaric reagent, were developed in 2004, which, combined with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) , have been applied to the identification and quantification of proteins in a wide range of biological samples, including bacteria, yeasts, human tissues, cells, and fluids. As a new method of quantitative proteomics, the technique of iTRAQ allows for the quantitative analysis of four samples simultaneously and displays its advantages of high-flux, food reproducibility, and high sensitivity; it also provides a potential technological platform for studying the mechanisms of the development and progression of prostate cancer.
Humans ; Isotope Labeling ; methods ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Proteomics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of the PIM-1 protein in prostate cancer tissue and its relationship with PSA recurrence.

METHODSWe used the immunohistochemical SP method to detect the expression of the PIM-1 protein in the prostate tissues of 68 cases of prostate cancer (PCa) and 37 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

RESULTSThe positive rate of the PIM-1 protein expression was 67.65% (46/68) in the PCa tissue, significantly higher than 40.54% (15/37) in the BPH tissue (P<0.05). Its positive rates in PCa Gleason scores 6, 7 and 8-10 were 33.33% (7/21), 77.5% (21/28) and 94.74% (18/19), respectively, with significant between-group differences (P<0.05), and those in stages I , II, III and IV of PCa were 47.62%, 53.85%, 73.33% and 94.74%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis of the results of a 36-month follow-up showed the ratios of PIM-1 expression to PSA recurrence and non-recurrence were 10/22 (45.45%) and 36/46 (78.26%), respectively, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPIM-1 protein expression in PCa tissue is closely related to the Gleason score and clinical stage of PCa and PSA recurrence, which suggests that the PIM-1 gene plays an important role in PCa evolution and progression, and may be an indicator for the prognosis of PCa.

Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) in prostate cancer (PCa) and its clinical significance.

METHODSWe collected tissue samples from 63 cases of PCa, 46 cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and 58 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) adjacent to PCa and determined the expression of EpCAM in the epithelial and stromal cells by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe positive expression rates of EpCAM in the epithelial cells were significantly higher in PCa and PIN than in PCa-adjacent BPH (98. 4 and 97. 8 vs 51.7%, P <0. 01), and so was that in the stromal cells of PCa than in those of PCa-adjacent PIN (89.5 vs 50.0%, P <0.01). The expression of EpCAM.was remarkably higher in the stromal cells of bone metastasis than in those of non-bone metastasis tissue (100. 0 vs 40. 0%, P <0. 01) but showed no statistically significant differences between the highly and poorly differentiated PCa tissues (88.5 vs 91.9%, P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression level of EpCAM in the stromal cells of PCa is related to the occurrence, progression, and bone metastasis of the tumor, and therefore may be used as a marker in the early diagnosis of PCa as well as a predictor of bone metastasis of the tumor.

Antigens, Neoplasm ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; secondary ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Disease Progression ; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Stromal Cells ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of the Trp-p8 protein in the prostate tissue of the PSA "grey zone" with different PSA density of the transition zone (PSADTZ) and explore the value of determining Trp-p8 expression and PSADTZ in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSThis study involved 30 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and another 30 cases of PCa with different PSADTZ values. Using a data imaging and analysis system, we determined the expression levels of Trp-p8 in BPH and PCa tissues and analyzed their correlation with PSADTZ.

RESULTSThe expression of Trp-p8 was weak or negative in the BPH but strong in the PCa tissue and even stronger in the PCa tissue with high PSADTZ (F = 34. 05, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe Trp-p8 protein is expressed differently in BPH and PCa tissues of the PSA " grey zone" and its expression is positively correlated with PSADTZ. Determination of the Trp-p8 expression and PSADTZ contributes to the early diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Early Detection of Cancer ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; metabolism ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; TRPM Cation Channels ; metabolism