Biochemical Changes in Prostate Cancer: FMNL1 and PAK1 in Plasma and Urine

Prostate cancer is a clinically heterogeneous disease. Since PSA is not cancer-specific, and due to the bone metastases seen in the advanced stage and bone deformations caused by hormone therapy, it is necessary to use new biomarkers. Formin-like-protein 1 (FMNL1), a member of the formin protein family, is of great importance in actin polymerization, cell attachment, and migration processes. p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) proteins, members of the PAK protein kinases, play a role in cytoskeletal organization, as well as regulating other cellular activities such as cell survival, mitosis, and transcription. In our study, plasma and urine samples of 60 prostate cancer patients and 20 healthy controls were studied using RT-PCR and ELISA methods. No statistical difference was found between FMNL1 mRNA and protein expression levels of patients and controls in both plasma and urine samples (p > 0.05). There was no statistical difference between PAK1 mRNA expression levels of patients and controls in plasma and urine samples (p > 0.05). While no significant difference was found in PAK1 protein levels in plasma samples (p > 0.05), it was found to be lower in urine samples of patients compared to the control group (p = 0.00). Both marker molecules have low expression levels in early-stage PCa.