The prostate adenocarcinoma proteome

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men. In 2022, the incidence of prostate cancer in Sweden was more than 12 000, and in the US 300 000 new cases are estimated in 2024. The vast majority of primary prostate cancer cases are adenocarcinomas, and the cancers often show characteristics such as multifocality and differentiation pattern heterogeneity. The rate of prostate tumor growth varies and is often low. Since the median age at diagnosis is high (65-70 years), most patients, especially those with localized tumors, often die of other complications without ever having suffered significant disability from the cancer. Approximately 15% of patients with prostate cancer are in high-risk of disease-related symptoms and death. However, certain patients may have prolonged survival even after the cancer has metastasized to distant sites. Prostate cancer is often stimulated by hormones (androgens) and anti-hormonal therapies can be effective to limit and slow down tumor growth, while radical prostatectomy is an option for treating localized prostate cancer.

Both normal prostatic glands and prostate cancer cells express the protein PSA (encoded by the gene KLK3) and the detection of elevated levels of PSA in the blood is today heavily used as a screening tool to detect the growth of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can be diagnosed using rectal examination (palpation), and histological examinations of tissue biopsies using the Gleason Grade scoring system, where dominant histological characteristics of the cancer cells are used to determine the cancer stage. Immunostaining of relevant molecular markers is also important.

Here, we explore the prostate adenocarcinoma proteome using TCGA transcriptomics data and antibody-based protein data. 162 genes are suggested as prognostic based on transcriptomics data from 480 patients; 143 genes are associated with unfavorable prognosis and 19 genes are associated with favorable prognosis.

TCGA data analysis

In this metadata study, we used data from TCGA where transcriptomics data was available from 480 male patients with prostate adenocarcinoma in total. Most of the patients (471 patients) were still alive at the time of data collection. Information on stage distribution was missing.

Unfavorable prognostic genes in prostate adenocarcinoma

For unfavorable genes, higher relative expression levels at diagnosis give significantly lower overall survival for the patients. There are 143 genes associated with an unfavorable prognosis in prostate adenocarcinoma. In Table 1, the top 20 most significant genes related to an unfavorable prognosis are listed.

NCBP2 is a gene associated with an unfavorable prognosis in prostate adenocarcinoma. The best separation is achieved by an expression cutoff at 53 TPM which divides the patients into two groups with 94% 5-year survival for patients with high expression versus 100% for patients with low expression, p-value: 6.86e-6. Immunohistochemical staining using an antibody targeting NCBP2 (HPA044850) shows a differential expression pattern in prostate adenocarcinoma samples.

p<0.001 0.00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.91.0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910111213
NCBP2 - survival analysis

NCBP2 - high expression

NCBP2 - low expression

Table 1. The 20 genes with highest significance associated with an unfavorable prognosis in prostate adenocarcinoma.

Gene
Description
Predicted location
mRNA (cancer)
p-value
Prognostic
TRA2B Transformer 2 beta homolog Intracellular 25.9 5.40e-6 potential
NCBP2 Nuclear cap binding protein subunit 2 Intracellular 44.4 6.86e-6 potential
HELLS Helicase, lymphoid specific Intracellular 1.8 5.53e-5 potential
ZNF330 Zinc finger protein 330 Intracellular 17.8 8.62e-5 potential
ZNF440 Zinc finger protein 440 Intracellular 5.6 1.03e-4 potential
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Favorable prognostic genes in prostate adenocarcinoma

For favorable genes, higher relative expression levels at diagnosis give significantly higher overall survival for the patients. There are 19 genes associated with a favorable prognosis in prostate adenocarcinoma, listed in Table 2.

ARL2 is a gene associated with a favorable prognosis in prostate adenocarcinoma. The best separation is achieved by an expression cutoff at 64 TPM which divides the patients into two groups with 99% 5- year survival for patients with high expression versus 95% for patients with low expression, p-value: 4.93e-4. Immunohistochemical staining using an antibody targeting ARL2 (HPA044610) shows a differential expression pattern in prostate adenocarcinoma samples.

p<0.001 0.00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.91.0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910111213
ARL2 - survival analysis

ARL2 - high expression

ARL2 - low expression

Table 2. The 19 genes with significant association with a favorable prognosis in prostate adenocarcinoma.

Gene
Description
Predicted location
mRNA (cancer)
p-value
Prognostic
BTG2 BTG anti-proliferation factor 2 Intracellular 145.2 8.54e-4 potential
MORN5 MORN repeat containing 5 Intracellular 1.6 1.04e-4 potential
MRPL40 Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L40 Intracellular 78.7 1.31e-4 potential
SLC27A3 Solute carrier family 27 member 3 Membrane, Intracellular 3.4 1.38e-4 potential
NTNG2 Netrin G2 Intracellular 2.3 1.79e-4 potential
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The prostate adenocarcinoma transcriptome

The transcriptome analysis shows that 68% (n=13807) of all human genes (n=20162) are expressed in prostate adenocarcinoma. All genes were classified according to the prostate adenocarcinoma-specific expression into one of five different categories, based on the ratio between mRNA levels in prostate adenocarcinoma compared to the mRNA levels in the other 16 analyzed cancer tissues.

Figure 1. The distribution of all genes across the five categories based on transcript abundance in prostate adenocarcinoma as well as in all other cancer tissues.

352 genes show some level of elevated expression in prostate adenocarcinoma compared to other cancers (Figure 1). The elevated category is further subdivided into three categories as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. The number of genes in the subdivided categories of elevated expression in prostate adenocarcinoma.

Distribution in the 31 cancers
Detected in singleDetected in someDetected in manyDetected in all Total
Specificity
Cancer enriched 21182512 76
Group enriched 0564811 115
Cancer enhanced 11357540 161
Total 3210914863 352

Additional information

Prostate carcinomas are classified using the Gleason grade (Modified Gleason Grading System). The Gleason grade is a system of characterizing prostate cancer tissue based on the microscopical pattern of growth. The Gleason grade ranges from 1 to 5. Grade 1 is not used in clinical practice as it is impossible to distinguish grade 1 from adenosis and it is considered to lack malignant potential. Gleason grades corresponding to the two dominating growth patterns in prostate cancer are combined to provide the Gleason score and consequently, Gleason scores range from 4 (2+2) to 10 (5+5). The Gleason score is correlated to the risk of tumor spread and a low Gleason score reflects a more well differentiated tumor, while a high Gleason score corresponds to more poorly differentiated tumors. A tumor with Gleason score of 4 is least likely, and a tumor with a score of 10 is most likely to spread beyond the prostate.

Grade 1 tumors are small, uniform, well-differentiated, closely packed, and consist of glands in essentially circumscribed masses. In Grade 2 there is a moderate variation in size and shape of glands and more atypia in individual cells. A cribriform pattern may be present - still essentially circumscribed - but more loosely arranged. Grade 3 tumors show marked irregularity in size and shape of glands, with tiny glands/individual cells invading into the stroma. Solid cords and masses (papillary or cribriform), with easily distinguishable glandular differentiation, vary in size and may be quite large, but the essential feature is a smooth and usually rounded edge around all the circumscribed masses of the tumor. In Grade 4, tumor cells grow in a diffuse pattern and may show gland formation, however, glands are not single and separate, but coalesce and branch. Grade 5 tumors are poorly differentiated, usually presenting solid masses or diffuse growth with little or no differentiation into glands or with a few tiny glands or signet ring cells.

Immunohistochemistry using antibodies towards PSA can be used to discriminate prostate cancer from other forms of cancer. Immunohistochemistry is also important to delineate the two cell types in benign prostatic ducts and acini. The superficial layer is the secretory epithelium, beneath which there is a layer of continuous basal cells in normal glands. Sparse interspersed endocrine-paracrine cells are also present. The basal cells are useful for histological diagnosis as their presence confirms that the acinus is benign. The basal cells stain positive for p63 and high-molecular weight keratins. Malignant prostatic acini do not display basal cells and are identified using other immunohistochemistry markers such asAMACR/P504S.

Relevant links and publications

Uhlen M et al., A pathology atlas of the human cancer transcriptome. Science. (2017)
PubMed: 28818916 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan2507

Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network et al., The Cancer Genome Atlas Pan-Cancer analysis project. Nat Genet. (2013)
PubMed: 24071849 DOI: 10.1038/ng.2764

Uhlén M et al., Tissue-based map of the human proteome. Science (2015)
PubMed: 25613900 DOI: 10.1126/science.1260419

O'Hurley G et al., Analysis of the Human Prostate-Specific Proteome Defined by Transcriptomics and Antibody-Based Profiling Identifies TMEM79 and ACOXL as Two Putative, Diagnostic Markers in Prostate Cancer. PLoS One. (2015)
PubMed: 26237329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133449

Histology dictionary - Prostate cancer