A40
EN2 is a highly predictive and specific urine based biomarker for prostate cancer
Richard Morgan1, Lynn Plowright1, Silvana Di Palma2, Stephen Langley2, Mohamed Ismail1, Hardev Pandha1
1University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, 2Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK
Background
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer related death in men but its diagnosis is still complicated by the lack of a highly predictive biochemical marker.
Method
Urine was collected under standardised conditions from men with prostate cancer, or with non-cancerous conditions of the prostate such as benign prostatic hypertrophy, or men who were found to have no prostate abnormalities after saturation biopsy. Engrailed-2 protein was detected by western blotting.
Results
Engrailed-2 protein is expressed in prostate tumours but not in normal tissue adjacent to the tumour. Furthermore, the protein was detected in the untreated, unconcentrated urine of 45% of men with prostate cancer, but was not present in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, or with no prostatic abnormalities (n=210, p<0.001).
Conclusion
The transcription factor Engrailed-2 is secreted from prostate tumours in a highly specific manner and is present in the urine of men with prostate cancer. It is therefore a potential diagnostic marker for this disease.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Prostate Project Charity (UK)
