Characteristic gene expression profiles of benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer

The molecular mechanism playing a role in the development of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer (PC) is not well defined. We performed microarray analysis to assess the gene expression change in BPH and PC, and performed network analysis. Normal prostate, BPH and PC tissues were obtained from patients who underwent an operation at Chiba University Hospital. Using Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus2.0 Array, we identified genes differentially expressed. The identified genes were analyzed using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to investigate the functional network and gene ontology. The microarray analysis identified 402 genes in BPH and 141 genes in PC, which were up- or down-regulated at least 5.0-fold change in PC at all dose points. Analysis using IPA software revealed eight networks in BPH and five networks in PC. We narrowed these down to the top five genes, which were up- or down-regulated on the networks in their characteristic manner. From this new perspective, comparing BPH and PC in microarray studies, our data showing gene expression profiles provide candidate genes for better understanding of disease and new therapeutic targets.