To study ERG expression in benign, pre-neoplastic, and neoplastic lesions of prostate

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common malignancy in men and the sixth leading cause of death. Clinical course of PCa is highly variable and current clinico pathological parameters are unable to predict accurately the course of the disease because of genetic heterogeneity seen in this tumor.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to study the prevalence of E26 transformation-specific-related gene (ERG) expression in benign and malignant lesions of prostate in Northern Indian patients. Whether ERG expression using immunohistochemical (IHC) methods can also be used for differentiating various lesions of the prostate gland is also evaluated.

Materials and Methods: This is an observational study conducted on 50 biopsy specimens encompassing different lesions of prostate. The study was carried out in the Department of Pathology at Integral Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Lucknow, India, during the period January 2020–September 2022.

Results: Amongst 50 cases of prostatic lesions included in the study, there were 20 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 17 cases of benign mimicker lesions and 13 cases of PCa. ERG expression was absent in all cases of BPH and benign mimicker lesions. ERG expression was seen in 38.5% of cases of PCa.

Conclusion: In our study, none of the patients of BPH or benign mimicker lesion expressed ERG on IHC, while 38.5% of patients of PCa showed positive staining. This figure differs from reports from other parts of the world. ERG expressions can be a potential therapeutic target for personalized treatment in a subset of patients of PCa. However, it was not found to be a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of PCa.