Profiling of the calcitonin-calcitonin receptor axis in primary prostate cancer: clinical implications and molecular correlates

Oncol Rep. 2013 Sep;30(3):1265-74. doi: 10.3892/or.2013.2583. Epub 2013 Jul 2.

Abstract

Expression of the neuroendocrine peptide calcitonin (CT) and its receptor (CTR) is frequently elevated in prostate cancers (PCs), and activation of the CT-CTR axis in non-invasive PC cells induces an invasive phenotype. We aimed to link CT/CTR expression in prostate specimens to clinicopathological parameters of PC. We analyzed CT and CTR expression in cohorts of benign prostates and primary PCs with/without metastatic disease by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we correlated CT/CTR expression with several clinicopathological parameters. CT/CTR immunostaining in benign prostate acini was predominantly localized to basal epithelium. However, this spatial specificity was lost in malignant prostates. PC sections displayed a remarkable increase in cell populations expressing CT/CTR and their staining intensity. Tumors with higher CT/CTR expression consistently displayed metastatic disease and poor clinical outcome. High CT/CTR expression in primary prostate tumors may serve as a prognostic indicator of disease aggressiveness and poor clinical outcome.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Calcitonin / metabolism*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Prostate / metabolism*
  • Prostate / pathology
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia / mortality
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia / pathology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • ROC Curve
  • Receptors, Calcitonin / metabolism*
  • Survival Rate
  • Tissue Array Analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Receptors, Calcitonin
  • Calcitonin