SOLUBLE CD44 MOLECULES IN SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH PROSTATE-CANCER AND BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

Recent studies suggest that expression off CD44 splice variants are of prognostic significance for a variety of neoplasias. It was the aim o f this study to investigate whether any correlation exists between the concentration of soluble CD44 molecules in serum (CD44 standard form and CD44 splice variants v5 and v6) and the prostate cancer stage. Ser um levels of these soluble CD44 isoforms were measured by ELISA tests specific for these proteins in controls (n = 30), patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; n = 30), with prostate cancer without met astasis (T1,2,3pN0M0; n = 30) and with locally advanced prostate cance r and/or metastatic disease (T3,4pN1,2M1; n = 19). sCD44std and sCD44v 6 concentrations were not significantly different among the four group s studied, with few patients' levels outside the central 95% reference intervals. The mean sCD44v5 concentrations of both prostate cancer an d BPH patients were significantly lower than those of the controls. Th ere was no significant difference between the soluble CD44 concentrati ons of the two groups of prostate cancer patients studied. In contrast to results observed in other carcinomas, the determination of soluble CD44 proteins in serum is not suitable for providing additional progn ostic information on patients with prostate cancer. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd