Immunohistochemical analysis of ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein 50 in prostatic adenocarcinoma

Background: Ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50) is an adapter protein which has been shown to play an active role in a wide variety of cellular processes, including interactions with proteins related to both tumor suppression and oncogenesis. Here we use immunohistochemistry to evaluate EBP50's expression in normal donor prostate (NDP), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), normal tissue adjacent to prostatic adenocarcinoma (NAC), primary prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa), and metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma (Mets). Methods. Tissue microarrays were immunohistochemically stained for EBP50, with the staining intensities quantified using automated image analysis software. The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA with subsequent Tukey tests for multiple comparisons. Eleven cases of NDP, 37 cases of NAC, 15 cases of BPH, 35 cases of HGPIN, 103 cases of PCa, and 36 cases of Mets were analyzed in the microarrays. Results: Specimens of PCa and Mets had the lowest absolute staining for EBP50. Mets staining was significantly lower than NDP (p = 0.027), BPH (p = 0.012), NAC (p < 0.001), HGPIN (p < 0.001), and PCa (p = 0.006). Additionally, HGPIN staining was significantly higher than NAC (p < 0.009) and PCa (p < 0.001). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this represents the first study comparing the immunohistochemical profiles of EBP50 in PCa and Mets to specimens of HGPIN, BPH, NDP, and NAC and suggests that EBP50 expression is decreased in Mets. Given that PCa also had significantly higher expression than Mets, future studies are warranted to assess EBP50's potential as a prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer. © 2011 Bartholow et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

A glimpse of the ERM proteins

In all eukaryotes, the plasma membrane is critically important as it maintains the architectural integrity of the cell. Proper anchorage and interaction between the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton is critical for normal cellular processes. The ERM (ezrin-radixin-moesin) proteins are a class of highly homologous proteins involved in linking the plasma membrane to the cortical actin cytoskeleton. This review takes a succinct look at the biology of the ERM proteins including their structure and function. Current reports on their regulation that leads to activation and deactivation was examined before taking a look at the different interacting partners. Finally, emerging roles of each of the ERM family members in cancer was highlighted

Validation of proposed prostate cancer biomarkers with gene expression data: a long road to travel

# The Author(s) 2014. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Biomarkers are important for early detection of can-cer, prognosis, response prediction, and detection of residual or relapsing disease. Special attention has been given to diagnostic markers for prostate cancer since it is thought that early detection and surgery might reduce prostate cancer-specific mortality. The use of prostate-specific antigen, PSA (KLK3), has been debated on the base of cohort studies that show that its use in preventive screenings only marginally influences mortality from prostate cancer. Many groups have identified alternative or additional markers, among which PCA3, in order to detect early prostate cancer through screening, to distinguish potentially lethal from indolent prostate cancers, and to guide the treatment decision. The large number of markers proposed has led us to the present study in which we analyze these indicators for their diagnosti