ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of LMTK3 in patients with prostate carcer. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of LMTK3 and ERα in 55 cases of prostate cancer tissues and 25 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues. The relationship between the expression of LMTK3 and ERα and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated by square test and Fisher exact test. The association between LMTK3 and ERα expression was analyzed with Pearson and Spearman rank correlation. Results: The results of immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the LMTK3 and ERα protein positive expression rate in 55 cases of prostate cancer tissues was 36. 36％ and 32. 73％, whereas was 64. 00％ and 56. 00％ in the benign prostatic hyperplasia, respectively, showed a significant difference of comparison within this result ( P ＜ 0. 05). The expression of LMTK3 in prostate cancer tissues was inversely related with the level of Gleason grade ( P＜0. 05), but no relation with the levels of age, TPSA, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis ( P＞0. 05). Moreover, the expression of ERα in prostate cancer tissues was oppositely related with the levels of gleason grade and TPSA ( P＜0. 05), but no relation with the levels of age, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis ( P＞0. 05). Pearson and Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed, to some extent, there was positively correlated with the two proteins ( r = 0. 296, P＜0. 05). Conclusion: The expression of LMTK3 in prostate cancer tissues was decreased compared with benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues and negatively related with the level of gleason grade. In some degree, there is a positively correlation between the LMTK3 and ERα proteins.