Expression of c-jun oncogene in hyperplastic and carcinomatous human prostate

ObjectivesTo investigate c-jun oncoprotein (JUN) expression in diseases of the human prostate gland at the tissue level and to determine its relationship to clinicopathologic variables.MethodsThe expression of JUN was studied using immunohistochemistry in archival tissue from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (n = 16) and prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) (n = 36) specimens.ResultsJUN-specific positive nuclear immunostaining was observed in 13 (81.25%) of 16 BPH and 31 (86.1%) of 36 PCa specimens. JUN-specific immunostaining was significantly stronger in the PCa than in the BPH tissue (P = 0.006). In the PCa tissue, no significant correlation was found between JUN immunohistochemical expression and tumor histologic grade (Gleason score) or serum prostate-specific antigen level.ConclusionsJUN expression may play a role in normal cell function of the prostatic epithelium and is expressed in most BPH and PCa samples. The finding that JUN-specific immunostaining intensity was stronger in the vast majority of PCa than in the BPH samples implies that the role of c-jun may be enhanced during malignant transformation.