BACKGROUND: Pim-3 kinase is a highly homologous serine/threonine kinase that is overexpressed in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Few studies have been conducted to define the role of Pim-3 in solid tumors, especially in prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to define the role of Pim-3 in development and prognosis of prostate cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We collected specimens from 160 patients with prostate cancer, as well as 100 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Realtime polymerase chain reaction was used for the assessment of Pim-3 expression at the RNA level and Western blot was used to quantify the Pim-3 protein synthesis in 3 different cell lines.

RESULTS: We found that Pim-3 mRNA expression in prostate cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in benign prostatic hyperplasia tissue (p<0.05). Accordingly, the protein level expression of Pim-3 in prostate cancer cell lines was also significantly higher than that in control cells. In addition, the expression status of Pim-3 mRNA was significantly associated with pathological parameters such as pre-surgery prostate specific antigen, Gleason score, pathological stage, and lymphoid metastasis. High expression of Pim-3 also significantly decreased the survival rate of patients after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS: Pim-3 expression is an important risk factor for prostate cancer; we are the first team to report Pim-3 as a valuable biomarker in Chinese.

Keywords: Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism, Aged, 80 and over, Case-Control Studies, Prostatic Hyperplasia - metabolism, Prostatic Neoplasms - metabolism, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism, RNA, Messenger - metabolism, Risk Factors