DJ-1 and androgen receptor immunohistochemical expression in prostatic carcinoma: A possible role in carcinogenesis

Background and aim: androgen plays a fundamental role in the growth and differentiation of prostate. androgen receptor (ar) expression may represent a potential marker of prognosis in prostate cancer. however,there have been variable results regarding its ability to predict clinical progression. despite the oncogenic properties of dj-1,its significance in prostate cancer development and progression is not well understood. this research shed some light on the possible role of immunohistochemical expression of dj-1 in clinically localized prostatic carcinoma in relation to the established role of ar and other clinicopathologic parameters. materials and methods: the immunohistochemical expression of ar and dj-1 was evaluated in 129 samples including benign hyperplasia (n= 60) and prostatic carcinoma (n= 69). results: the mean value of ar immunostaining was significantly higher in prostatic carcinomas than in benign hyperplasia (p= 0.001). a significant inverse correlation was found between ar immunostaining and the grade of prostatic carcinomas. a significantly higher median dj-1 score was found in prostatic carcinoma than in benign hyperplasia (p= 0.0001). there was a significant direct correlation between ar and dj-1 score (p= 0.0001). ar is more sensitive in predicting prostatic carcinoma than dj-1 but dj-1 is more specific than ar. conclusion: ar nuclear expression was consistently present in benign and adenocarcinoma epithelium. but,there may be limited clinical use for ar expression in localized carcinoma due to its constant heterogeneity. dj-1 with its oncogenic properties,specificity for prostatic carcinoma and homogenous expression gives an ideal complementary role to ar in the detection and treatment of prostatic carcinomas. © 2013.