Identification of biomarkers associated with pathological tumor staging and their utility in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer

Abstract Objective Pathological tumor (pT) staging plays a crucial role in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. This study aimed to identify pT stage-associated biomarkers and explored their utility in PCa prognosis. Methods GSE69223 was used to identify potential targets differentially expressed between level 2 of pT staging (pT2) and level 3 of pT staging (pT3). Quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were performed on tissues from patients with PCa to screen the pT stage-associated targets and to explore the prognostic value of these targets in PCa. Results CENPI and SLC38A11 were most significantly upregulated, whereas ANO6 and KANK2 were mostly decreased in pT3 tumors compared with pT2 staging. ANO6 levels were negatively associated with preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, lymph node staging (N staging), Gleason score, and overall survival (OS); CENPI was positively associated with preoperative PSA levels, N staging, and OS, but was not associated with the Gleason score; SLC38A11 and KANK2 were not associated with OS. ANO6 and KANK2 were correlated with neutrophil markers, whereas CENPI was correlated with macrophage M2 types. Conclusion We identified 4 reliable PCa biomarkers associated with pT staging that would be valuable for diagnosing and determining PCa prognosis.