Immunohistochemical expression of E-Cadherin and β-catenin in prostate adenocarcinoma and benign prostate hyperplasia

Özet

Disruption of the E cadherin mediated complex due to loss or depletion of E cadherin results in epithelial abnormalities and serious developmental impairment in various tissues and organs. The present study aims to determine E cadherin and β catenin expression in patients diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate carcinoma (PCa) based on Gleason scores and investigate the association of these proteins with PSA levels and Gleason scoring. Immunohistochemical staining for E cadherin and β catenin was performed in 59 patients diagnosed with PCa and 30 patients with BPH. Mean E cadherin expression was 3.00 in patients diagnosed with BPH and 2.38±0.5 in patients with PCa, with a statistically significant difference between these values (p<0.001). Comparison of PCa cases with PSA <10 versus those with PSA ≥10 revealed significantly reduced β catenin expression in the group with PSA levels ≥10 (p<0.001). Loss of E cadherin and β catenin is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of PCa. We believe that future molecular studies on this subject may further elucidate the association between carcinoma development and the expression of these molecules, leading to new therapeutic targets in the treatment of PCa.