Role of nm23H1 in predicting metastases in prostatic carcinoma.

Background: Non-metastatic nm23H1 gene is thought to play a critical role in cell proliferation. Studies of nm23H1 have been done in many other malignancies. But none of these studies took up nm23H1 gene as predictor in the metastases of prostatic carcinoma.

Aims and Objectives: To study the expression of nm23H1 in prostatic lesion and to correlate nm23H1 expression with presence of metastases, tumour stage, tumour grade and with PSA level serum.

Setting and Design: Tertiary hospital based retrospective and prospective study done in a period of one year from thirty patients having prostatic lesion confirmed by biopsy.

Material and Methods: Immunohistochemistry for nm23H1 was performed on unstained coated sections of prostatic lesions to study the relation with prostatic lesion and their correlation with age, PSA level, tumour stage, grading. Clinical data was collected from medical records.

Statistical Analysis: SPSS Version 15 analysis software was used. The value were presented in number(%) and Mean ± SD.

Results: Majority of patients belong to age group 61 to 70yrs.Gleason score >7 were seen in 55% of patients of adenocarcinoma with and without metastasis. The difference in PSA levels between BPH and adenocarcinoma was significant (P < 0.001). IHC expression for nm23H1 gene showed positive findings in all the cases (P = 1). PSA values >20ng/ml showed maximum % mean expression (98.64%) as compared to PSA levels <10 ng/ml (96.91%).

Conclusion: IHC expression of nm23H1 is not an effective tool to distinguish among the cases of BPH, adenocarcinoma of prostate with and without metastasis. Hence nm23H1 gene does not behave like an antimetastatic gene in prostatic lesions.