Overexpression of four genes distinguish prostate cancer from BPH

Australian researchers have identified four molecular biomarkers that in concert appear particularly effective in distinguishing prostate cancer from benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).

“Because no one molecular marker would appear to be overexpressed in all prostate cancers,” senior investigator Dr. Robert A. Gardiner told Reuters Health, “we identified several discriminating markers which, used in combination, were able to identify 100% of cancer specimens correctly in tissue samples.”Using microarray analysis, Dr. Gardiner of the University of Queensland, Herston and colleagues compared BPH samples and malignant cells obtained from hospital patients. In prostate cancer cells GalNac-T3 was 4.6-fold overexpressed, DD3/PCA3 was 140-fold overexpressed, hepsin was 21-fold overexpressed and PSMA was 66-fold overexpressed, the researchers report in the In the May 10th issue of the International Journal of Cancer.Using hepsin alone was 80% accurate in distinguishing samples. The corresponding values for PSMA alone and DD3/PCA3 alone were 81% and 90% respectively.However, when all four markers were combined, all of the prostate cancer specimens were accurately distinguished from all of the BPH samples.”Potential applications of this research are in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer, by examining prostatic cells in ejaculate or urine — immediately following ejaculation or digital rectal examination — and in targeting cancers with newer therapeutic strategies,” Dr. Gardiner suggested.(Source: Int J Cancer 2005;114:950-956: Reuters Health: Oncolink: May 2005.)