DJ-1 and androgen receptor immunohistochemical expression in prostatic carcinoma : a possible role in carcinogenesis

Abstract EN

Background and Aim : androgen plays a fundamental role in the growth and differentiation of prostate.

Androgen receptor (AR) expression may represent a potential marker of prognosis in prostate cancer.

However, there have been variable results regarding its ability to predict clinical progression.

Despite the oncogenic properties of DJ-1, its significance in prostate cancer development and progression is not well understood.

This research shed some light on the possible role of immunohistochemical expression of DJ-1 in clinically localized prostatic carcinoma in relation to the established role of AR and other clinicopathologic parameters.

Materials and Methods : the immunohistochemical expression of AR and DJ-1 was evaluated samples including benign hyperplasia (n = 60) and prostatic carcinoma (n= 69).

Results: The mean value of AR immunostaining was significantly higher in prostatic carcinomas than in benign hyperplasia (P = 0.001).

A significant inverse correlation was found between AR immunostaining and the grade of prostatic carcinomas.

A significantly higher median DJ-1 score was found in prostatic carcinoma than in benign hyperplasia (P = 0.0001).

There was a significant direct correlation between AR and DJ-1 score (P =0.0001).

AR is more sensitive in predicting prostatic carcinoma than DJ-1 but DJ-1 is more specific than AR.

Conclusion: AR nuclear expression was consistently present in benign and adenocarcinoma epithelium.

But, there may be limited clinical use for AR expression in localized carcinoma due to its constant heterogeneity.

DJ-1 with its oncogenic properties, specificity for prostatic carcinoma and homogenous expression gives an ideal complementary role to AR in the detection and treatment of prostatic carcinomas.