Background
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) enhances cell proliferation and invasiveness in several malignant diseases. The
Conclusions
These results indicate that FGF9 can stimulate proliferation and invasion in prostate cancer cells, thus FGF9 could be a candidate of a predictive factor for recurrence after radical prostatectomy.
Methods
Cell viability and invasion of LNCaP cells were assessed using MTT assay and Matrigel invasion assay, respectively, in the presence or absence of treatment with recombinant FGF9. Tissues obtained during a radical prostatectomy in 133 male patients were immunohistochemically stained using anti-FGF9 antibody.
Results
Cell viability and invasion of LNCaP was significantly enhanced by treatment with recombinant FGF9. Immunohistochemical staining detected FGF9-positive cells in 20 samples. The prevalence of FGF9-positive cells in cases with a Gleason score of 8 or higher was 34.2%, which was significantly higher than that in those with Gleason scores of 7 or lower (7.3%, P=0.0003), respectively. The 3-year biochemical relapse-free survival rate was 17.5% in cases with FGF9-positive cells, which was significantly lower than that in cases in which FGF9-positive cells were not detectable (75.5%, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: These results indicate that FGF9 can stimulate proliferation and invasion in prostate cancer cells, thus FGF9 could be a candidate of a predictive factor for recurrence after radical prostatectomy.