Abstract
BackgroundRecent reports on Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) suggest that this bacterium is prevalent in the prostate, is associated with acute and chronic prostatic inflammation, and might have a role in prostate carcinogenesis.MethodsTo evaluate the pathogenic role of this indigenous bacterium, we screened for the bacterium in radical prostatectomy specimens using enzyme immunohistochemistry with a novel P. acnes-specific monoclonal antibody (PAL antibody), together with an anti-nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) antibody. We examined formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of radical prostatectomy specimens from 28 patients with prostate cancer and 18 age-matched control patients with bladder cancer, but without prostate cancer.ResultsImmunohistochemistry with the PAL antibody revealed small round bodies within some non-cancerous glandular epithelium and stromal macrophages in most prostate samples. Prostate cancer samples had higher frequencies of either cytoplasmic P. acnes or nuclear NF-κB expression of glandular epithelium and higher numbers of stromal macrophages with P. acnes than control samples. These parameters were also higher in the peripheral zone than in the transitional zone of the prostate, especially in prostate cancer samples. Nuclear NF-κB expression was more frequent in glands with P. acnes than in glands without P. acnes. The number of stromal macrophages with the bacterium correlated with the grade of chronic inflammation in both the PZ and TZ areas and with the grade of acute inflammation in the TZ area.ConclusionsImmunohistochemical analysis with a novel monoclonal antibody for detecting P. acnes in the prostate suggested that intraepithelial P. acnes infection in non-cancerous prostate glands and inflammation caused by the bacterium may contribute to the development of prostate cancer.
Highlights
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide, with an estimated 900,000 cases and 258,000 deaths in 2008 [1]
To evaluate the pathogenic role of this indigenous bacterium in the development of prostate cancer, we examined radical prostatectomy samples obtained from patients with or without prostate cancer by immunohistochemistry with the novel antibody to P. acnes and an antibody to nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB), which was used to determine a possible correlation between P. acnes infection and nuclear NF-kB expression in prostate glands
Specificity of monoclonal antibody The PAL antibody reacted with all strains of serotype I P. acnes and did not react with any strains of serotype II P. acnes, other cutaneous propionibacteria, or other control bacteria
Summary
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide, with an estimated 900,000 cases and 258,000 deaths in 2008 [1]. Many recent studies provide evidence that chronic inflammation is an important contributing factor for prostate carcinogenesis by causing DNA damage, promoting cellular turnover, and creating a tissue microenvironment that enhances cell replication, migration, and angiogenesis [3,4]. Recent reports showed that Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is frequently detected in prostate tissue from patients with prostatitis and prostate cancer, and that the bacterium is associated with acute and chronic prostatic inflammation and might have a role in prostate carcinogenesis [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21]. Recent reports on Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) suggest that this bacterium is prevalent in the prostate, is associated with acute and chronic prostatic inflammation, and might have a role in prostate carcinogenesis
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