Consecutive Prostate Cancer Specimens Revealed Increased Aldo⁻Keto Reductase Family 1 Member C3 Expression with...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biochemistry
• Urology

Background:

• Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3) is involved in steroidogenesis, particularly testosterone and dihydrotestosterone formation.
• AKR1C3 is implicated in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa), especially castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare AKR1C3 expression in benign vs. cancerous prostate tissues.
• To evaluate AKR1C3 expression changes from hormone-naïve prostate cancer (HNPC) to CRPC in the same patients.
• To assess the correlation between AKR1C3 expression and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival (PFS).

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemical analysis of AKR1C3 expression in 134 patient specimens.
• Correlation analysis of AKR1C3 expression with PSA PFS after radical prostatectomy.
• Evaluation of consecutive prostate samples from 11 patients (HNPC and CRPC states).

Main Results:

• AKR1C3 immunostaining was significantly stronger in cancerous epithelia than benign epithelia in localized HNPC (p < 0.0001).
• High AKR1C3 expression independently predicted poor PSA PFS (p = 0.032).
• AKR1C3 immunostaining was significantly higher in CRPC tissues compared to HNPC tissues from the same patients (p = 0.0234).

Conclusions:

• AKR1C3 expression is significantly elevated in prostate cancer tissues compared to benign tissues.
• Increased AKR1C3 expression is associated with poorer prognosis and progression in prostate cancer.
• AKR1C3 plays a crucial role in the progression of prostate cancer, including the development of castration resistance.