Expression and implication of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha in prostate neoplasm

To study the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) protein in prostate cancer (Pca) and its biological significance, the expression of HIF-1alpha was assayed by means of immunohistochemical technique in 42 prostate cancer, 12 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm (PIN) and 9 normal prostate tissue (NP) specimens. Western blot was used to examine the expression of HIF-1alpha in prostate cancer cell line (PC-3M) induced by different oxygen tension. HIF-1alpha expression was positive in 33 Pca and 9 PIN specimens, and the positive rate of HIF-1alpha was higher in distant metastasis patients than in patients without metastasis of prostate cancer (P<0.05), while there was no expression of HIF-1alpha in NP. The level of HIF-1alpha in PC-3M significantly increased with the decrease of oxygen tension (P<0.01). Overexpression of HIF-1alpha is the preliminary event of the formation of Pca, which may induce carcinoma into malignant phenotype. Thus it may serve as an early diagnosis marker and the novel target for Pca treatment.