Abstract:
Objective To investigate the expression of polybromo 1 (PBRM1) in prostate cancer tissues and its correlation with CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration.
Methods A total of 124 prostatecancer patients were enrolled as observation group, and 80 patients with benign prostate tumors during the same period were selected as control group. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC), real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot were used to detect the expression of PBRM1 in the tumor tissues of both groups and the adjacent normal tissues of the observation group (more than 1 cm from the tumor edge). Flow cytometry was employed to detect the infiltration of CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes in the tissues.
Results The positive expression rate of PBRM1 in the tumor tissues of the observation group was 59.68%, which was significantly lower than 85.00% in the control group and 81.45% in the adjacent normal tissues of the observation group (P < 0.001). The relative expression levels of PBRM1 mRNA and PBRM1 protein, as well as the percentage of CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor tissues of the observation group were all lower than those in the tumor tissues of the control group and the adjacent normal tissues of the observation group (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the relative expression level of PBRM1 protein and the percentage of CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor tissues (r=0.856, P < 0.001). In the observation group, patients with tumors having a maximum diameter ≥3 cm, poor differentiation, clinical stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ, Gleason score ≥8, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA)≥20 ng/mL had significantly lower relative expression levels of PBRM1 protein compared to those with tumors having a maximum diameter < 3 cm, moderate to well differentiation, clinical stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ, Gleason score < 8, and PSA < 20 ng/mL, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusion Downregulation of PBRM1 expression in prostate cancer tissues may be associated with an increase in tumor malignancy and a decrease in CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration, thereby enhancing the tumor′s immune escape ability.