Prognostic value of DNA analysis of prostate adenocarcinoma: correlation to clinicopathologic predictors.

The ability to accurately predict tumor behavior and patient survival is a problem in managing patients with prostate cancer. DNA ploidy provides important information for the evaluation of the prognosis of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the DNA ploidy in imprints from prostate adenocarcinomas in a group of 70 patients in relation to Gleason score, tumor differentiation, stage and PSA serum levels. The DNA content was studied in Feulgen-stained imprint smears through the image analysis technique using a SAMBA 2005 Image analyzer. According to our measurements, a strong correlation was observed between DNA ploidy status and tumor differentiation (p<0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between DNA aneuploidy and increased pretreatment PSA serum levels (>4 ng/ml) (p<0.001), as well as between ploidy pattern and stage of the disease (p<0.001). Our results conclude that DNA ploidy status appears to be an additional marker in the field of prognosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma and could provide useful information on the potential behavior of prostate cancer.

Expression of p120, Ki-67 and PCNA as proliferation biomarkers in imprint smears of prostate carcinoma and their prognostic value.

The cell proliferation markers p120, Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) recognize nuclear antigens. The expression of these proteins by immunostaining methods was reported to be of value in determining the prognosis of patients with malignant diseases. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of the expression of nuclear antigens p120, PCNA and Ki-67 in prostate cancer and compared the results with other prognostic factors. Imprint smear samples obtained from 70 patients immediately after radical prostatectomy for prostatic carcinoma were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies against p120, Ki-67 and PCNA. The immunostaining results were correlated with Gleason score, tumour differentiation, stage and prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels. Our findings demonstrate that p120, Ki-67 and PCNA expression in prostatic carcinoma smears, correlated significantly with the degree of Gleason score (P < 0.001). When combining p120, Ki-67 and PCNA positivity with tumour differentiation there was a significant association among these parameters (P < 0.001). Overexpression of p120, Ki-67 and PCNA, was also associated with increased PSA serum levels (>4 ng/ml) (P < 0.001). The distribution of p120, Ki-67 and PCNA expression in prostate carcinomas was not statistically significant for Ki-67 (P = 0.69) and p120 (P = 0.22) but was significant for PCNA (P < 0.001) as far as the histological stage (T2a, T2b, T2c, T3a). P120, Ki-67 and PCNA expression had significant prognostic value for disease-free survival. Our results conclude that nuclear antigens p120, Ki-67 and PCNA appear to be additional markers in the field of prognosis of prostatic carcinoma.

Telomerase expression as a marker in prostate cancer: correlation to clinicopathologic predictors.

The aim of this study was to investigate by an in situ hybridization procedure the Telomerase expression as a marker in prostate cancer and to correlate these results with several prognostic factors concerning this cancer. Imprint smear samples were obtained from 70 prostates removed from patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate adenocarcinoma. Telomerase expression in cancerous prostate smears was studied using an in situ hybridization procedure. The results were correlated with prognostic factors such as pathologic staging, Gleason grading, PSA serum levels and tumour differentiation. Positive Telomerase expression was detected in 88.6% prostate cancer smears. Telomerase expression was significantly correlated with the Gleason score (p < 0.001), tumour differentiation (p < 0.001) and PSA serum levels (p = 0.002). The distribution of Telomerase expression according to histopathological staging was not statistically significant (p < 0.56). In conclusion Telomerase expression could be a marker indicating the malignant potential of prostate cancer.