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

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.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).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.Prostate cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer death in males[1]. Despite this, in the era of prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, researchers have now estimated that clinically insignificant prostate cancer is actually overdiagnosed at a rate of 29% for whites and 44% for blacks, the PSA screen resulting in the detection of cancers that otherwise would only have been detected during autopsy in up to 15% and 37% of tumors in whites and blacks, respectively[2].There is currently a limited amount of information in the literature on biomarkers with the potential to discern which cases of prostate cancer have the greatest potential to metastasize versus remain latent[3]. Evaluating the expression of tumor suppressor proteins that have been previously examined in other cancers may indicate novel biomarkers for prostate cancer that have the potential to assess individual patient pr