Reduced Expression Level of GPX2 in T1 Bladder Cancer and its Role in Early-phase Invasion of Bladder Cancer

Background/aim: The role of glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2) expression in urothelial carcinoma (UC) is rarely reported. The aim of this study was to assess the expression status of GPX2 in UC of the bladder.

Materials and methods: We collected samples from 112 patients treated with radical cystectomy for immunohistochemical study.

Results: Following immunohistochemical analysis of the specimens, 86 (76.8%) had weak GPX2 expression. In cases with consistent GPX2 expression within the same lesion, the levels of GPX2 showed significant decreases from pTa to pT1 (47.1%) compared to those from pT1 to pT2 (5.9%) (p=0.017). Specimens obtained with transurethral resection before cancer progressed to muscle invasive bladder cancer showed that pT1 had a lower expression for GPX2 than that of pTa (63.3% vs. 93.3%; p=0.009).

Conclusion: The decrease in GPX2 expression among those with UC of the bladder may be involved in the early step of cancer invasion.