Expression of Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type-1 (HAI-1) in prostate cancer

Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type-1 (HAI-1) inhibits hepatocyte growth factor activator and matriptase. In the present study it was investigated whether the expression of HAI-1 is associated with the progression of prostate cancer. The expression of HAI-1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) of samples from 51 patients with negative prostate biopsies and 75 patients with untreated prostate cancer. Furthermore, the expression of HAI-1 was evaluated in 24 patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and the relationship between HAI-1 expression and the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free rate was investigated. Expression of HAI-1 by IHC in patients with prostate cancer was significantly higher than in those with negative prostate biopsy. CRPC exhibited significantly lower HAI-1 expression than untreated metastatic prostate cancer. The PSA progression-free rate was worse in patients without HAI-1 expression than in those with positive HAI-1 expression. It is suggested that HAI-1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CRPC.