Prostate-specific antigen mRNA and protein levels in laser microdissected cells of human prostate measured by real-time reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immuno-quantitative polymerase chain reaction

Hum Pathol. 2008 Oct;39(10):1474-82. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2008.02.012. Epub 2008 Jul 11.

Abstract

Laser-assisted microdissection has mainly been used in cancer studies to excise pure cell populations from heterogeneous tissues. Cancer and normal cells selected by laser-assisted microdissection have frequently been used for mRNA expression studies usually by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Recently, real time immuno-qPCR was developed as a new tool for highly sensitive measurements of proteins. Using reverse transcriptase-qPCR and immuno-qPCR, we measured the amounts of prostate-specific antigen mRNA and its corresponding protein in homogeneous and comparable cell populations, collected from normal and cancer prostates by laser-assisted microdissection. With these techniques, prostate-specific antigen mRNA and protein were quantified over a wide range of concentrations with a sensitivity sufficient to analyze single prostate cells (LNCaP). We did not find significant differences in prostate-specific antigen protein and mRNA between normal and cancer cells. The expression of prostate-specific antigen protein and mRNA was highly correlated in both normal and pathological cells. In microdissected peritubular stromal areas of prostate cancers, the concentration of prostate-specific antigen protein was about 100 times higher than in normal prostate, indicating an increased transit of secreted prostate-specific antigen. In the same samples, prostate-specific antigen mRNA was not detectable. Our data demonstrate, for the first time, the feasibility of simultaneous application of reverse transcriptase-qPCR and immuno-qPCR in studies of homogeneous cell populations, collected by laser-assisted microdissection. The approach is expected to become a very powerful tool for expression studies in human cancers at both mRNA and protein levels.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Lasers
  • Male
  • Microdissection
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Prostate / metabolism
  • Prostate / pathology
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / genetics*
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • RNA, Neoplasm / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Neoplasm
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen