Summary objectives: Recent reports place prostate cancer (PCa) as third cause of death in the World among males, in Mexico it is the leading cause of male death. In this study, we studied molecular markers and one genetic marker related in tissues with PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): The Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) gen and protein, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT). It was evaluated if various markers of oxidative stress show altered expression in prostate cancer and BPH.
Methods: 80 biopsies were obtained. The conditions to amplify and evaluate the immunoreactivity of the genes of interest (Mn-SOD and 3-NT) and the correlation between PSA and Mn-SOD immunoreactivity in prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia were standardized.
Results: Gene overexpression and Mn-SOD and 3-NT immunoreactivity were greater in prostate cancer with respect to the BPH group. Correlation between levels of PSA and the Mn-SOD immunoreactivity was not observed.
Conclusions: The above results suggest that the parameters evaluated can be used as tumor markers making the determinations in biopsies of patients suspected of prostate cancer.