Abstract
Although inflammation is considered an important factor for promoting carcinogenesis, further evidence is still needed to draw definitive conclusions on its role in prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression. This study characterized the radius, specific membrane capacitance (SMC), and Youngs modulus of 20 patient-derived prostate cells, including 6 patients diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 5 patients diagnosed with BPH accompanied with chronic inflammation (BCI), and 9 patients diagnosed with PCa. The characterized results show that the three groups of cells possess approximate radius value. Both BCI and PCa cells show larger SMC values than BPH cells. Only PCa cells possess lower Youngs modulus than BPH cells, the stiffness of which is approximate to that of BCI cells. Additionally, experiments have testified that inflammatory cytokine, (i.e. TNF- $\alpha$ ) can induce the increase of cellular SMC values. The finds demonstrate that inflammation is linked to cancer promotion process and accompanied with cellular biophysical changes, providing a new insight into the effects of inflammation in promoting PCa.
Highlights
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men
The radius, specific membrane capacitance (SMC), and Young’s modulus of 20 patient-derived prostate cells, including 6 patients diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 5 patients diagnosed with BPH accompanied with chronic inflammation (BCI), and 9 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), were characterized and analyzed
A significant difference in SMC values was demonstrated both in BCI vs. BPH cells (p < 0.001) and PCa vs. BPH cells (p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference in SMC values was observed between BCI and PCa cells (p = 0.99)
Summary
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Several lines of evidence support the link between inflammation and PCa. For example, 1) epidemiological studies have shown that chronic inflammation predisposes individuals to various types of cancer (eg., liver cancer and breast cancer) [6]; 2) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the risk of developing certain cancers and the mortality caused by these cancers [7]; 3) inflammatory cells, chemokines, and cytokines are present in almost all tumors during their development. 1) epidemiological studies have shown that chronic inflammation predisposes individuals to various types of cancer (eg., liver cancer and breast cancer) [6]; 2) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the risk of developing certain cancers and the mortality caused by these cancers [7]; 3) inflammatory cells, chemokines, and cytokines are present in almost all tumors during their development These preclinical studies provide biological rationale for the association between inflammation and the risk of PCa, a direct relationship between inflammation and malignant transformation in the human prostate is still unclear due to limited evidence [3], [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
