Article Text
Abstract
Background: Current ancillary markers for diagnosis in prostate biopsies include p63 and α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR). Annexin II (ANXII), a calcium and phospholipid binding protein, is lost in prostate cancer.
Aims: To investigate ANXII expression in order to assess its utility as a novel diagnostic marker in comparison to p63 and AMACR.
Methods: Using immunohistochemistry on six tissue microarrays, ANXII, p63, and AMACR expression was analysed from 210 radical prostatectomy cases. Staining was evaluated in benign and atrophic glands, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), and prostatic adenocarcinoma. Separate scores were given for ANXII, AMACR and p63 expression.
Results: Diffuse cytoplasmic expression of ANXII correlated with p63 reactivity in basal cells. Benign glands were positive for ANXII in 286/292 cores (98%) and negative for AMACR in all 292 cores. HGPIN showed heterogeneous expression of AMACR and ANXII. A significantly larger proportion of HGPIN glands were correctly identified as ANXII negative than as positive for AMACR. ANXII loss in prostate cancer was found in 282/320 cores (88%) and correlated with positive AMACR expression (272/320 cores, 85%), which was not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant correlation between ANXII scores and the clinical parameters examined.
Conclusions: Immunohistochemical staining for ANXII is a consistent and reliable marker of prostatic neoplasia. The findings of this study suggest the potential utility of ANXII as a diagnostic aid in prostate cancer histopathology.
- AMACR, α-methylacyl-CoA racemase
- ANXII, annexin II
- HGPIN, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia
- annexin A2
- α-methylacyl-CoA racemase
- diagnostic markers
- prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia
- prostatic neoplasms
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Footnotes
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Published Online First 17 August 2006
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Funding for this project was provided by the Prostate Clinical Research Program at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Study sponsors had no involvement in the study design; the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; the composition of the report; or the decision to submit the paper for publication.
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Competing interests: None.