Korean J Urol.  2015 Jul;56(7):505-514. 10.4111/kju.2015.56.7.505.

Expression levels of heat shock protein 27 and cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein in prostate cancer correlate with Gleason score sum and pathologic stage

• Lee SW
• Cho JM
• Cho HJ
• Kang JY
• Kim EK
• Yoo TK

• KMID: 2160647
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4111/kju.2015.56.7.505

Abstract

PURPOSE
Heat shock protein (HSP) 27 protects the cell by controlling apoptosis and immune reactions, and c-FLIP (cellular-FLICE inhibitory protein) inhibits apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-8 activity. We investigated the relationship of HSP27 and c-FLIP expression to prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score sum (GSS), and pathologic stage.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Samples from 163 patients between May 2004 and April 2010 were analyzed: 83 from patients that had underwent a radical prostatectomy, and 80 from those that underwent transurethral resection of the prostate to alleviate urinary symptoms from benign prostate hyperplasia. c-FLIP and HSP27 expression were observed by immunohistochemistry staining. Samples with less than 5% expression-positive cells were scored as 1, with 5%-50% were scored as 2, and with more than 50% were scored as 3. Local reactions were identified as 0.5 and evaluated.
RESULTS
Both the presence of HSP27 within the tumor and the number of cancer cells positive for HSP27 were significantly correlated to GSS and pathologic stage (p<0.001, p=0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001). The same was true for c-FLIP expression (p<0.001). GSS was more highly correlated to HSP27 expression than to c-FLIP expression (r=0.814 for HSP27, r=0.776 for c-FLIP), as was pathologic stage (r=0.592 for HSP27, r=0.554 for c-FLIP).
CONCLUSIONS
In prostate cancer, higher GSS and a more advanced pathologic stage were associated with a higher likelihood of having a HSP27-positive tumor and more HSP27-positive tumor cells. HSP27 expression was correlated with GSS and prostate cancer stage. A more advanced pathologic stage corresponded to a higher likelihood of having a c-FLIP-positive tumor and more c-FLIP-positive tumor cells. HSP27 expression had a higher correlation with prostate cancer stage and GSS than c-FLIP expression did.

Keyword

Clinical pathology; Heat-shock proteins; Neoplasm grading; Prostatic neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Aged
Biomarkers, Tumor/*metabolism
CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein/*metabolism
HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins/*metabolism
Humans
Lymphatic Metastasis
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Grading
Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism
Neoplasm Staging
Prostatectomy/methods
Prostatic Hyperplasia/metabolism/surgery
Prostatic Neoplasms/*metabolism/pathology/surgery
Transurethral Resection of Prostate
Biomarkers, Tumor
CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein
HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins
Neoplasm Proteins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 HSP27expression in prostate tissues (immunohistochemical stain, ×100). (A) HSP27 negative, 0; (B) HSP27<5%, +1; (C) HSP27 5%-50%, +2; (D) HSP27>50%, +3. HSP, heat shock protein.

• 

  Fig. 2 c-FLIP expression in prostate tissues (immunohistochemical stain, ×100). (A) c-FLIP negative, 0; (B) c-FLIP reaction<5%, +1; (C) c-FLIP 5%-50%, +2; (D) c-FLIP>50%, +3. c-FLIP, cellular-FLICE inhibitory protein.

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