Analysis of the Gene Networks and Pathways Correlated with Tissue Differentiation in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent non-cutaneous cancer in men. Early PCa detection has been made possible by the adoption of screening methods based on the serum prostate-specific antigen and Gleason score (GS). The aim of this study was to correlate gene expression with the differentiation level of prostate adenocarcinomas, as indicated by GS. We used data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and included 497 prostate cancer patients, 52 of which also had normal tissue sample sequencing data. Gene ontology analysis revealed that higher GSs were associated with greater responses to DNA damage, telomere lengthening, and cell division. Positive correlation was found with transcription factor activator of the adenovirus gene E2 (E2F) and avian myelocytomatosis viral homolog (MYC) targets, G2M checkpoints, DNA repair, and mitotic spindles. Immune cell deconvolution revealed high M0 macrophage counts and an increase in M2 macrophages dependent on the GS. The molecular pathways most correlated with GSs were cell cycle, RNA transport, and calcium signaling (depleted). A combinatorial approach identified a set of eight genes able to differentiate by k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) between normal tissues, low-Gleason tissues, and high-Gleason tissues with high accuracy. In conclusion, our study could be a step forward to better understanding the link between gene expression and PCa progression and aggressiveness.

A Novel Risk Calculator to Predict Erectile Dysfunction in HIV-Positive Men.

HIV infection is considered to be a lifelong medical condition, requiring follow-up and treatment for decades. HIV-positive men are reported to have erectile dysfunction more often than age-matched healthy controls, and improving sexuality is known to potentially improve overall health-related quality of life. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the presence of ED in HIV-positive men and the associated contributing factors and to create a statistical model to assess the risk to develop ED in this population. In a prospective study, we analyzed a group of HIV-positive men in a cross-sectional manner, looking at demographics, blood test results, and smoking habits. Data were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. In our series, the overall incidence of ED was 48.5%, increasing with age. Our analysis showed no correlation with blood sugar level, but a very strong correlation with total serum lipids. We were able to develop and validate a risk calculator for ED in HIV-positive men.