Correlation of urine TMPRSS2:ERG and PCA3 to ERG+ and total prostate cancer burden

Am J Clin Pathol. 2012 Nov;138(5):685-96. doi: 10.1309/AJCPU7PPWUPYG8OH.

Abstract

ERG rearrangements (most commonly transmembrane protease, serine 2 [TMPRSS2]:ERG [T2:ERG] gene fusions) have been identified in approximately 50% of prostate cancers . Quantification of T2:ERG in postdigital rectal examination urine, in combination with PCA3, improves the performance of serum prostate-specific antigen for prostate cancer prediction on biopsy. Here we compared urine T2:ERG and PCA3 scores with ERG+ (determined with immunohistochemical analysis) and total prostate cancer burden in 41 mapped prostatectomies. Prostatectomies had a median of 3 tumor foci (range, 1-15) and 2.6 cm of summed linear tumor dimension (range, 0.6-7.1 cm). Urine T2:ERG score correlated most with summed linear ERG+ tumor dimension and number of ERG+ foci (r(s) = 0.68 and 0.67, respectively, both P < .001). Urine PCA3 score showed weaker correlation with both number of tumor foci (r(s) = 0.34, P = .03) and summed linear tumor dimension (r(s) = 0.26, P = .10). In summary, we demonstrate a strong correlation between urine T2:ERG score and total ERG+ prostate cancer burden at prostatectomy, consistent with high tumor specificity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / urine*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Oncogene Fusion
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / urine
  • Prostate / pathology*
  • Prostate / surgery
  • Prostatectomy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / urine*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / urine*
  • Trans-Activators / urine*
  • Transcriptional Regulator ERG

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • ERG protein, human
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcriptional Regulator ERG
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • TMPRSS2 protein, human