Taras V. Zadvornyi

Ukraine

EXPRESSION OF COLLAGEN DENSITY-REGULATORY FACTORS IN PROSTATE CANCER

Zadvornyi T., Mushii O., Pavlova A., Burda T., Shevchuk A., Kashuba E., Lukianova N.

R.E. Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

Background

The growth of malignant neoplasms, including prostate cancer (PCa), is accompanied by remodeling of the surrounding extracellular matrix, often leading to an increase in its density. These changes are associated with high metastatic activity, alterations in the metabolism of tumor cells, and modulation of the immune components within the tumor microenvironment.
The aim: to investigate the expression of collagen density-regulating factors in PCa.

Methods

The levels of Lysyl oxidase (LOX), Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase (PLOD), SerpinE2 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-?) in tumor tissues of 40 patients with PCa at stages II—I??, who were treated at the National Cancer Institute (Kyiv, Ukraine) from 2015 to 2021, were assessed using the immunohistochemical method. Masson’s trichrome staining was used to identify collagen fibers. A morphometric study of collagen fiber organization was performed using the ImageJ and the CurveAlign 4.0 beta programs. Statistical analysis of the results was carried out using the program GraphPad Prism 8.

Results

All PCa tissue samples were divided into two equal groups based on the collagen matrix density: low and high, considering the median value (Me = 10.60 fibers/100 ?m²). It was determined that PCa tissue with high collagen density exhibited a significantly higher expression level of LOX, SerpinE2, and TGF-? compared to samples with low collagen density. A direct correlation was identified between collagen density and the expression levels of SerpinE2 and TGF-?.

Conclusions

The obtained data indicate the association of SerpinE2 and TGF-? in regulating the collagen matrix density of tumors and suggest their potential role in PCa aggressiveness.

Funding. This work was funded by the research program of the NAS of Ukraine “Study of the Reactive Microenvironment as a Factor in the Progression of Prostate Cancer” (0122U002081).