Amplification of EIF3S3 gene is associated with advanced stage in prostatecancer

Gain of the long arm of chromosome 8 (8q) is one of the most common gains f ound in the advanced prostate cancer by comparative genomic hybridization. We have previously identified a putative target gene for the 8q gain, EIF3S 3, that encodes a p40 subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3). Here, we studied the frequency of the EIF3S3 amplification in diff erent stages of prostate cancer and co-amplification of EIF3S3 and oncogene MYC. In addition, prognostic utility of the EIF3S3 copy number alteration was evaluated. The analyses were done with fluorescence in situ hybridizati on and tissue microarray technology. High-level amplification of EIF3S3 was found in 11 of 125 (9%) of pT1/pT2 tumors, 12 of 44 (27%) of pT3/pT4 tumor s, and 8 of 37 (22%) of lymph node metastases as well as in 26 of 78 (33%) and 15 of 30 (50%) of hormone refractory locally recurrent tumors and metas tases, respectively. The amplification was associated with high Gleason sco re (P < 0.001). One of the 79 tumors with EIF3S3 amplification had only two copies of MYC, whereas all tumors with amplification of MYC had also ampli fication of EIF3S3 indicating common co-amplification of the genes. Gain of EIF3S3 was associated with poor cancer-specific survival in incidentally f ound prostate carcinomas (P = 0.023). In the analyses of prostatectomy-trea ted patients, the amplification was not statistically significantly associa ted with progression-free time. In conclusion, amplification of EIF3S3 gene is common in late-stage prostate cancer suggesting that it may be function ally involved in the progression of the disease.