Abstract
At present, there are insufficient prognostic markers for prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate abnormalities of β-catenin protein expression and subcellular localisation and to determine its relation to different clinicopathological features and disease-free survival in prostate cancer patients.
β-Catenin was determined by immunohistochemistry in 40 prostate cancer specimens, obtained from patients with different stages of prostate cancer (83% stage IV) who underwent a radical prostatectomy or TURP between 2006 and 2011. The membranous expression was semiquantitatively. Clinical records of these patients were studied for follow-up data.
β-Catenin was over-expressed Libyan patients with prostate cancer. There was no statistically significant difference in β-catenin immunoexpression as regards histopathological type, perineural invasion, tumour stage, biological recurrence. However, β-catenin over-expression showed significant correlation with old age (p<0.024) and Gleason score (p< 0.014).
Changes in expression and cell distribution of β-catenin correlate with the progression of prostate adenocarcinoma, signifying a role of this molecule as a marker of progression and prognosis. Further investigations, on a larger and more heterogeneous population, should be carried out to validate and extend our results.