Nuclear matrix proteins changes in cancerous prostate tissues and their prognostic value in clinically localized prostate cancer.

Background: After the discovery that nuclear matrix (NM) directs the spatial organization of DNA transcription and replication, there has been an increasing interest in studying NM changes associated with malignant transformation and their potential usefulness in the clinical setting.

Methods: High-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the NM proteins (NMP) of specimens of prostate cancer tissue obtained from the prostates of 75 patients undergoing retropubic prostatectomy.

Results: Nine NMP with different molecular weights and isoelectric points have been identified. They were expressed differently by prostate cancer tissues. An increasing trend toward the expression of such proteins like NMP 6-8 was evident with increasing tumor stage and dedifferentiation. NMP 6-8 were also significantly correlated with the risk of biochemical progression. However, Gleason score was the only significant discriminant in this regard in multiparametric models.

Conclusions: This study confirms that prostate cancer progression is related to profound changes in NMP expression patterns. However, due to the complexity of the methods required to define these latter, the clinical relevance of NMP appears to be still limited.