The assessment of PTEN tumor suppressor gene in combination with Gleason scoring and serum PSA to evaluate progression of prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine if the tumor suppressor gene phosphate and tensin homolog (PTEN) (mutated in multiple advanced cancers 1) in combination with Gleason scoring and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) could be employed to better predict the progression of prostate carcinoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 43 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), 15 with organ confined prostate carcinoma (OCPCa), and 18 with advanced prostate carcinoma (APCa). Prostate tissue samples were obtained from radical prostatectomy, transurethral resection, and TRUS guided trans-rectal needle biopsy and then evaluated for biomarker expression. The clinical stage was assessed according to tumor node metastasis classification and grade according to Gleason system. Serum PSA was measured by conventional techniques and Western blotting analysis was used to determine PTEN expression in the primary tissue. Multivariate analysis was performed to analyze whether these markers could individually predict the progression of prostate carcinoma.
RESULTS: APCa patients displayed higher Gleason scores and serum PSA levels. But much lower PTEN expression was detected in prostate of APCa patients compared to patients with BPH or OCPCa. Hormone refractory (HR) and hormone sensitive (HS) APCa cases did not yield any significant differences in terms of Gleason scoring, serum PSA and PTEN expression. PSA levels were significantly higher in patients with OCPCa or APCa compared to patients with BPH.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that both PTEN and serum PSA appeared to be useful as independent markers to depict the nature of tumor behavior as benign or malign. In addition, PTEN also appeared to be useful as an independent marker to predict the progression of prostate carcinoma. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.