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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Prostate Cancer | Research article

Aberrant expression of the microtubule-associated protein tau is an independent prognostic feature in prostate cancer

Authors: Cornelia Schroeder, Jan Grell, Claudia Hube-Magg, Martina Kluth, Dagmar Lang, Ronald Simon, Doris Höflmayer, Sarah Minner, Eike Burandt, Till S. Clauditz, Franziska Büscheck, Frank Jacobsen, Hartwig Huland, Markus Graefen, Thorsten Schlomm, Guido Sauter, Stefan Steurer

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) overexpression has been linked to poor prognosis and decreased response to taxane-based therapies in several cancer types, but its relevance in prostate cancer is unknown.

Methods

In this study, MAPT expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 17,747 prostate cancers.

Results

MAPT was absent in normal prostate epithelial cells but detectable in 1004 (8.2%) of 12,313 interpretable cancers. Its expression was associated with advanced tumor stage, high Gleason grade, positive lymph nodes, and early biochemical recurrence (p < 0.0001 each). For example, MAPT was found in 3.6% of 2072 Gleason ≤3 + 3 cancers but in 14.4% of 704 Gleason ≥4 + 4 cancers. High-level MAPT staining was also linked to TMPRSS2:ERG fusions (p < 0.0001). MAPT staining was seen in 15.2 and 16% of cancers with TMPRSS2:ERG fusion detected by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in-situ hybridization, but in only 3.5 and 3.9% of cancers without ERG staining or ERG rearrangements. Moreover, an association was found between MAPT expression and PTEN deletions, with 19% MAPT positivity in 948 PTEN deleted cancers but only 7% MAPT positivity in 3895 tumors with normal PTEN copy numbers (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the prognostic value of MAPT was independent from established parameters. Conventional large section analyses showed intratumoral MAPT heterogeneity in all three analyzed cancers.

Conclusions

The results of our study identify MAPT, as a moderate prognostic marker in prostate cancer, whose clinical impact, however, may be limited due to the rarity and heterogeneity of its expression.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Aberrant expression of the microtubule-associated protein tau is an independent prognostic feature in prostate cancer
Authors
Cornelia Schroeder
Jan Grell
Claudia Hube-Magg
Martina Kluth
Dagmar Lang
Ronald Simon
Doris Höflmayer
Sarah Minner
Eike Burandt
Till S. Clauditz
Franziska Büscheck
Frank Jacobsen
Hartwig Huland
Markus Graefen
Thorsten Schlomm
Guido Sauter
Stefan Steurer
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-019-5390-1

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