Pure small-cell carcinoma of the prostate presenting with increasing prostate-specific antigen levels: A case report and review of the literature.

The incidence of prostatic cancer (PCa) has increased significantly, and the measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is an effective screening tool for its diagnosis. PCa includes a number of specific clinicopathological types, including squamous cell, urothelial, adenoid cystic and small-cell carcinoma, among which small-cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCCP) is extremely rare, accounting for <0.5% of all PCa cases. SCCP is very aggressive and the majority of the cases have a poor prognosis, with a mean survival of ~5 months; it also exhibits specific clinicopathological characteristics and may be divided into two subtypes, namely pure and mixed SCCP. According to the previous literature on PubMed, pure SCCP is not associated with an increase in serum PSA levels. However, the rare case presented herein exhibited an increasingly abnormal serum PSA level. The patient was aged 66 years and had a PSA level of 56.78 ng/ml (normal, <4 ng/ml); he was diagnosed with pure SCCP, underwent radical prostatectomy and has remained disease-free during the follow-up. Similar cases previously published on PubMed were also reviewed, and considerations of survival status and treatment options were analyzed.

Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-1 correlates with poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of COX-1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and its prognostic value. mRNA of COX-1 was detected in 42 paired RCC and adjacent normal tissues with quantitative real- time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Expression of COX-1 was also evaluated in 196 RCC sections and 91 adjacent normal tissues with immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was performed to assess COX-1 expression in RCC and its prognostic significance. The results of qRT-PCR showed mRNA levels of COX-1 in RCC tissues to be significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemical assays also revealed COX-1 to be overexpressed in RCC tissues (p < 0.001). Statistical analysis demonstrated high expression of COX-1 was correlated with tumour size (p = 0.002), pathological stage (p = 0.003), TNM stage (p = 0.003, 0.007, 0.027, respectively), and tumour recurrence (p < 0.001). Survival analysis indicated patients with high expression of COX-1 had shorter survival time (p < 0.001), and COX-1 was an independent predictor. This is the first study to reveal overexpression of COX-1 in RRC and point to use as a prognostic marker in affected patients.

TGF-ß-activated kinase-1: a potential prognostic marker for clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: TGF-ß-activated kinase-1 (TAK1) has been found to be over-expressed in a variety of solid malignancies and related to tumor growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression level of TAK1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and assess its value as a novel prognostic marker. METHODS: TAK1 mRNA was assessed in 51 paired ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (ADTs) by real-time PCR. Tissue TAK1 protein was also assessed in 91 ADTs and 177 samples of ccRCC immunohistochemically for evaluation of relationships with clinical characteristics. RESULTS: RT-PCR showed that TAK1 RNA level was significantly higher in ccRCC tissues than in the paired ADTs and immunohistochemistry confirmed higher expression of TAK1 protein in ccRCC samples compared with ADTs. TAK1 protein expression in 177 ccRCC samples was significantly correlated with T stage, N classification, metastasis, recurrence and Fuhrman grade, but not age and gender. Patients with low TAK1 levels had a better survival outcome. TAK1 expression and N stage were independent prognosis factors for the overall survival of ccRCC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of TAK1 predicts a poor prognosis in patients with ccRCC, so that TAK1 may serve as a novel prognostic marker.

[Adriamycin and mitomycin dose-dependently downregulate X-kinked inhibitor of apoptosis protein in human bladder cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of inducing apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells by adriamycin and mitomycin and relevant mechanism. METHODS: Human bladder cancer cells of the lines RT4, MGH-U1, FJ, and T24 were cultured. Adriamycin of the concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 10 microg/ml, and mitomycin of the concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 microg/ml were added into the culture fluid respectively. CCK-8 colorimetric assay was used to detect the survival rates of the cells so as to select the cell line sensitive and tolerable to the drugs. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis. Western blotting was used to detect the levels of X-kinked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and the cleavage of caspase-3 precursor. RESULTS: It was found that RT4 cells were the most sensitive and the T24 cells were the most tolerable to adriamycin and mitomycin. Treated with adriamycin of the concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 10 microg/ml for 24 hours, the apoptotic rates of the RT4 cells were 15.3% +/- 4.3%, 29.3% +/- 6.4%, and 45.0% +/- 5.5% respectively; and the apoptotic rates of the T24 cells were 7.3% +/- 3.1%, 12.5% +/- 4.3%, and 18.2% +/- 6.3% respectively, all significantly lower than those of the RT4 cells (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Treated with mitomycin of the concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 microg/ml for 24 hours, the apoptotic rates of the RT4 cells were 12.7% +/- 2.9%, 31.3% +/- 4.4%, and 48.9% +/- 5.8% respectively, and the apoptotic rates of the RT4 cells were 7.2% +/- 3.3%, 15.5% +/- 5.2%, and 21.2% +/- 4.4% respectively, all significantly lower than those of the RT4 cells (all P < 0.05). The XIAP expression was not significantly different in these 4 cell lines before the adriamycin and mitomycin treatment. After the treatment of adriamycin and mitomycin, the expression of XIAP was down-regulated dose-dependently, however, being weaker in the T24 cells than in the RT4 cells; and caspase-3 precursor cleavage was enhanced, however, being weaker in the T24 cells too. CONCLUSION: Adriamycin and mitomycin dose-dependently kill the human bladder cancer cells. Such cytotoxic effect may be realized through inducing the cell apoptosis which is associated with the down-regulation of XIAP and cleavage of caspase-3 precursor.

[Regulation of expression of pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) by androgen in prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the androgen-responsive genes in prostate and screen the molecular targets for further studying human prostate cancer. METHODS: The potential androgen-responsive gene pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) was selected which had been previously screened by cDNA microarray in rat prostate and its mRNA level was detected by Northern blot in the castrated rat prostate with and without replacement of Mibolerone. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine the expression and location of PTTG1 in human prostate tissues. Then human androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells LNCaP were used as a model to study the regulation of PTTG1 by Mibolerone. RESULTS: PTTG1 mRNA was hardly detectable in the prostate of 7-day castrated rats, while it was up-regulated dramatically in the prostate of 7-day castrated rats treated with Mibolerone for 2 days. It was showed that high expression of PTTG1 was localized to the epithelial cells of human prostate cancer but not to the stromal cells with Immunohistochemistry. Northern blot analysis indicated that LNCaP cells treated with 0.1 nmol/L Mibolerone for 2 days led to the high PTTG1 mRNA expression. The basic expression of PTTG1 in human androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines PC3 or DU145 was even higher than that in the human androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells LNCaP treated with Mibolerone. CONCLUSION: Androgen can up-regulate the PTTG1 expression in castrated rat prostate and human prostate cancer cell LNCaP. It suggests that PTTG1 is potential to play an important role in human prostate cancer progression.