Can the expression level of PIWIL 2 gene be a serum marker for prostate cancer? A single-center prospective study

Özet

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictive value of the serum expression levelof Piwi-like 2 (PIWIL2), a stem cell protein, for prostate cancer (PCa).Materials and method: This randomized and prospective study included a total of 60 volunteers between50 and 75 years old. Cases were assigned to three groups according to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) elevations and pathology reports, with 20 participants in each group. The first group included patients with a PSAlevel of >4 ng/dL and with PCa, the second group included patients with a PSA level of >4 ng/dL and withbenign prostate hyperplasia, and the third group included patients with a PSA level of ≤4 ng/dL and withbenign prostate hyperplasia. The levels of serum PSA and PIWIL2 expressions were compared between thegroups.Results: The median serum PSA levels were 28.5 (4.6–98.1) ng/mL, 8.89 (4.3–24.1) ng/mL, and 2.4 (0.3–3.8) ng/mL for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The PSA levels were significantly different between thegroups (p 0.05). Patients diagnosed with cancer weregrouped according to the criteria of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP), and PIWIL2gene expression was observed to be significantly higher among patients with ISUP of >3 than among thosewith ISUP of ≤3 (p=0.04).Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that the serum level of PIWIL2 gene expression could not be adiagnostic indicator of PCa; however, it could be a beneficial prognostic indicator particularly for progresseddisease.