Am J Cancer Res 2012;2(6):736-744
Original Article
Chinese and Western prostate cancers show alternate
pathogenetic pathways in association with ERG status
Liyan Xue, Xueying Mao, Guoping Ren, Elzbieta Stankiewicz, Sakunthala C Kudahetti, Dongmei Lin,
Luis Beltran, Daniel M Berney, Yong-Jie Lu
1Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK; 2Department of Pathology,
Cancer Hospital (Institute), Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing,
China; 3Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College, Hangzhou,
China; 4Department of Histopathology, Whipps Cross Hospital, London, UK
Received September 6, 2012; Accepted October 17, 2012; Epub November 20, 2012; Published November 30, 2012
Abstract: We have previously reported genetic differences between Western and Chinese prostate cancers, including
different frequencies of ERG rearrangements. We investigated further ERG expression and rearrangements in
prostate cancers and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) from the UK and China to determine
differences between these two populations by tissue microarray based immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in
situ hybridization. In keeping with our previous observation, that ERG was rearranged at a higher frequency in UK
prostate cancer samples (38%, 58/155) than Chinese ones (8%, 7/93), ERG rearrangements were also found in
21% (4/19) and 0% (0/19) foci of HGPIN in UK and Chinese samples respectively. ERG nuclear expression in UK
cancers (34%, 54/160) was significantly higher than that in Chinese ones (10%, 9/88) (p<0.001). ERG nuclear
expression in UK HGPIN (28%, 11/39) was higher than that in Chinese HGPIN (0%, 0/9), but without statistical significance
(p=0.193). ERG nuclear expression was correlated to ERG rearrangements in both UK (Kappa=0.686) and
Chinese (Kappa=0.565) cancers. These data demonstrate that ERG rearrangement and expression frequencies are
different in prostate cancers from UK and China as early as the precursor lesion, HGPIN. The nuclear expression is
associated with ERG rearrangements which mainly occur in the Western samples. UK and Chinese prostate cancers
may be the result of different genetic mechanisms. (ajcr0000145).
Keywords: ERG, prostate cancer, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, genomic rearrangement, protein
expression
Address all correspondence to:
Dr. Yong-Jie Lu
Centre for Molecular Oncology & Imaging
Barts Cancer Institute
Queen Mary University of London
John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square
LONDON EC1M 6BQ.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 3597; Fax: +44 (0)20 7882 3884
E-mail: y.j.lu@qmul.ac.uk
Original Article
Chinese and Western prostate cancers show alternate
pathogenetic pathways in association with ERG status
Liyan Xue, Xueying Mao, Guoping Ren, Elzbieta Stankiewicz, Sakunthala C Kudahetti, Dongmei Lin,
Luis Beltran, Daniel M Berney, Yong-Jie Lu
1Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK; 2Department of Pathology,
Cancer Hospital (Institute), Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing,
China; 3Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College, Hangzhou,
China; 4Department of Histopathology, Whipps Cross Hospital, London, UK
Received September 6, 2012; Accepted October 17, 2012; Epub November 20, 2012; Published November 30, 2012
Abstract: We have previously reported genetic differences between Western and Chinese prostate cancers, including
different frequencies of ERG rearrangements. We investigated further ERG expression and rearrangements in
prostate cancers and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) from the UK and China to determine
differences between these two populations by tissue microarray based immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in
situ hybridization. In keeping with our previous observation, that ERG was rearranged at a higher frequency in UK
prostate cancer samples (38%, 58/155) than Chinese ones (8%, 7/93), ERG rearrangements were also found in
21% (4/19) and 0% (0/19) foci of HGPIN in UK and Chinese samples respectively. ERG nuclear expression in UK
cancers (34%, 54/160) was significantly higher than that in Chinese ones (10%, 9/88) (p<0.001). ERG nuclear
expression in UK HGPIN (28%, 11/39) was higher than that in Chinese HGPIN (0%, 0/9), but without statistical significance
(p=0.193). ERG nuclear expression was correlated to ERG rearrangements in both UK (Kappa=0.686) and
Chinese (Kappa=0.565) cancers. These data demonstrate that ERG rearrangement and expression frequencies are
different in prostate cancers from UK and China as early as the precursor lesion, HGPIN. The nuclear expression is
associated with ERG rearrangements which mainly occur in the Western samples. UK and Chinese prostate cancers
may be the result of different genetic mechanisms. (ajcr0000145).
Keywords: ERG, prostate cancer, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, genomic rearrangement, protein
expression
Address all correspondence to:
Dr. Yong-Jie Lu
Centre for Molecular Oncology & Imaging
Barts Cancer Institute
Queen Mary University of London
John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square
LONDON EC1M 6BQ.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 3597; Fax: +44 (0)20 7882 3884
E-mail: y.j.lu@qmul.ac.uk
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American Journal of Cancer Research
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