ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in primary prostate cancer and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of ILK was analysed in 50 prostate cancer and 16 benign prostatic hyperplasia samples by immunohistochemical staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive percentage of ILK was 46.0% (23/50) in primary prostate cancer. The higher the grade and the clinical stage of the tumor, the lower the expression of ILK. The positive percentages of ILK were 9.1% (1/11) in the well differentiated type, 56.4% (22/39) in the moderately and poorly differentiated type (chi2 = 12.28, P < 0.01), 24.0% (6/25) in the well and moderately differentiated type, 68.0% (17/25) in the poorly differentiated type (chi2 = 9.74, P < 0.01), 22.6% (7/31) at the A + B stage and 84.0% (16/19) at the C + D stage (chi2 = 11.8, P < 0.01). But in benign prostatic hyperplasia, it was only 6.2% (1/16), significantly lower than in primary prostate cancer (46.0%) (chi2 = 8.27, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The abnormal expression of ILK plays an important role in the development of primary prostate cancer, and the detection of ILK may be useful for the judgement of tumor development and prognosis.</p>