Abstract 2414: Fibromodulin expression in human prostate cancer tissue: Implications for prostate cancer progression

Background: Fibromodulin is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan important for extracellular matrix organization and essential for tissue repair in multiple organs. Recently, differential expression of fibromodulin has been shown in human prostate cancer cell lines with different cancer phenotypes and in human prostate cancer tissue compared to normal/benign tissue. Methods: The protein expression level of fibromodulin was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using a prostate tissue microarray (TMA), constructed from archival radical prostatectomy and trans-urethral prostatectomy tissue specimens, from patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa). Stained sections from the donor blocks were evaluated, and a representative area from PCa, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA), and benign prostate tissue (BPT) was included into the TMA. Staining for each lesion was scored, using H-score, by microscopic assessment of the percentage of epithelial cells with positive staining. H-score values were compared between groups by ANOVA test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The Ethical Review Board of the academic institution approved this study. Results: Fibromodulin expression at protein level was evaluated in 378 cores representing PCa (143 cores), HGPIN (58), PIA (102), and BPT (78). Mean fibromodulin expression in cores with PCa, HGPIN, and PIA was significantly higher than mean of fibromodulin expression in normal glands (p