Early growth response-1 gene - Potential radiation response gene marker inprostate cancer

This study was undertaken to determine whether the transcription factor EGR -1 expression: (1) in the primary tumor, correlates with radiation response in terms of complete local tumor control with no evidence of disease or re currence and no evidence of metastasis; (2) in the postirradiated biopsies correlates with residual tumor; and (3) correlates with the expression of E gr-1 target genes such as TP53, pRB, and Bax. The authors analyzed: ( 1) 25 pretreated surgically resected paraffin-embedded primary adenocarcinomas o f the prostate for the presence of EGR-1 expression and mutation. and corre lated this with clinical endpoints such as serum prostate-specific antigen levels and current clinical status; (2) 27 postirradiated biopsies of prost ate for the presence of EGR-1 expression, and correlated these findings to the residual tumor status; and (3) 12 prospective prostate tumor specimens for EGR-1 expression and its target genes. EGR-1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry and mutations were screened in two regions of the E gr-1 gene (trinucleotide AGC repeats in transactivation domain [TD] and pol y A tract in 3'UTR) by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation al polymorphism analysis. Of 25 patients, 18 patients showed expression of EGR-1. EGR-1 overexpression correlated with treatment failure. No correlati on with EGR-1 overexpression and its target genes was found, which may indi rectly suggest that overexpressed EGR-1 may lack transactivation function. In summary, EGR-1 overexpression in the mutant form may provide an indicati on of clinical failure (local recurrence or metastasis).