Reduced alpha- and beta-catenin expression predicts shortened survival in local prostate cancer.

The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of alpha- and beta-catenin expressions in local prostate cancer (PC). One hundred and eighty-one PC patients treated with radical prostatectomy were followed-up for a mean of 7.3 years. The alpha- and beta-catenin expression were analysed by immunohistochemistry TMT (tissue microarray technique) and light microscopy. Strong a-catenin expression was related to low Gleason grade (p < 0.001), cancer-free seminal vesicles (p = 0.04) and low preoperative PSA (p = 0.02). Strong beta-catenin expression was related to low Gleason grade (p < 0.001) and cancer-free seminal vesicle status (p = 0.03). Absence of nuclear beta-catenin expression was related to local disease (pT1-T2) (p = 0.05). alpha-catenin (p = 0.06), beta-catenin (p = 0.05), Gleason grade (p = 0.03) and capsular invasion (p = 0.01) were related to PSA recurrence in patients who reached PSA zero postoperatively. PSA recurrence-free survival (RFS) was significantly related to Gleason grade (p < 0.001), capsule invasion (p = 0.01), perineural growth (p = 0.05) and preoperative PSA (p = 0.05). In Cox's analysis, independent predictors of PSA RFS were Gleason grade (p < 0.001) and capsular invasion (p = 0.006). Low expressions of alpha- (p = 0.06) and beta-catenin (p = 0.05) were related to shortened PSA RFS. Survival was related to low alpha- (p = 0.011) and beta-catenin (p = 0.016) expressions. Independent predictors of shortened survival were seminal vesicle invasion (p = 0.016) and low alpha-catenin expression (p = 0.049). Reduced alpha- or beta-catenin expressions are related to malignant phenotype in local prostate cancer and predict PSA failure as well as shortened survival.