Abstract
Abstract Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death in males. Not all tumors will become metastatic within a patients life time, but when metastasized no curative therapy is available. It is therefore important to identify molecules that predict whether the tumor will become metastatic. Connexin-26 (Cx26) is a gap-junction protein that is involved in cell-cell contacts and in cell adhesion. Cx26 is involved as a tumor suppressor in various tumor types. The aim of the present study was to determine Cx26 expression in localized prostate cancer and relate the expression to the development of metastasis. Cx26 was stained by immunohistochemical staining in radical prostatectomy tissues of 43 patients. The expression levels were scored by a pathologist. Cx26 expression was observed in 95% of the patients. No relation was found to Cx26 expression in the tumor and the development of metastasis (p=0.2). Interestingly, a clear relation was found between low Cx26 expression in benign epithelial cells within the same sections and the development of metastasis (p<0.03). These metastases developed in about 5–40 months after radical prostatectomy. Kaplan Meier analysis showed a relation between a low Cx26 (score <75) expression in benign epithelial cells and time to PSA progression (p=0.01). Time to progression was associated with PSA and Cx26 expression in benign epithelial cells (Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, p=0.05). In conclusion, Cx26 expression in the benign epithelial cells was associated with the development of metastasis. Cx26 expression could therefore be used as a predictor of outcome after radical prostatectomy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-14. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-14
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