Analysis Of PTTG Expression And Predictors Of Tumor Progression After Hormone Therapy In Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Amplification of pituitary tumor transforming gene and overexpression of its encoded product, PTTG, have been associated with tumor progression in certain neoplasms. We conducted this study to investigate patterns of PTTG expression in prostate tissues, especially in prostate cancer tissues. And we evaluated the predictive value expression of PTTG and other clinicopathological characters, such as age, pretreatment PSA, Gleason grade, TNM staging and percentage of positive biopsy cores, etc., in progress-free survival of local and local advanced prostate cancer patients who received maximum androgen blockade.Materials and methods: Normal prostate tissues (8 cases), BPH tissues (16 cases), local and local advanted prostate caner tissues (47 cases), and distant metastasis progress prostate cancer tissues (19 cases) were studied for the association of PTTG expression detected by immunohistochemistry with clinicopathological parameters. The predictive value of PTTG expression, Gleason grade, pretreatment PSA, et al, in progress-free survival of local and local advanted prostate cancer patients who received maximum androgen blockade was analysis, using Stata statistic software.Results: PTTG expression was found in 42 of 66 (63.7%) of prostate cancer tissues, inter alia, 63.8 % ( 30/47 )in local and local advanted prostate caner tissues (17/47, low expression;13/47, high exprssion);63.2%(12/19) in metastasis progress prostate cancer tissues (8/19 low expression;4/19, high exprssion);no marked expression was found in normal and BPH tissues. No association was found between PTTG overexpression and Gleason score, pretreatment PSA. And there was no significantly different expression between local and local advanted prostate caner and distant metastasis progress prostate cancer tissues (x~2=0.3568, P =0.837). On univariate analysis, PTTG overexpression (P=0.002), Gleason gradeP=0.007) and pretreatment PSA>20ug/mL (P=0.042) were associated with progress-free survival of local and local advanted prostate caner patients who received maxmum androgen blockade. In a Cox multivariate stepwise analysis, PTTG overexpression (P =0.007), Gleason grade (P =0.026) were the important factors for progress-free survival. There were PTTG overexpression (Z'=0.012) and pretreatment PSA ( /"=0.000 ) for the subgroup of patients with stages T2 diseases only.Conclusions: These data suggested that there is significant PTTG overexpression in prostate cancers that may indicate PTTG plays a role in the development of prostate cancer, especially in the process of hormone dependence to hormone independence. High expression of PTTG, PSA>20ug/mL, and high Gleason grade are adverse predictors of progress-free survival after maximum androgen blockage.