TSPY is a Y-encoded gene that is expressed in normal testicular germ cells and various
cancer types including
germ cell tumor,
melanoma,
hepatocellular carcinoma, and
prostate cancer. Currently, the correlation between TSPY expression and oncogenic development has not been established, particularly in somatic
cancers. To establish such correlation, we analyzed the expression of TSPY, in reference to its interactive
oncoprotein, EEF1A,
tumor biomarker, AMACR, and normal basal cell
biomarker, p63, in 41 cases of clinical
prostate cancers (
CPCa), 17 cases of latent
prostate cancers (LPCa), and 19 cases of non-cancerous prostate (control) by immunohistochemistry. Our results show that TSPY was detected more frequently (78%) in the clinical
prostate cancer specimens than those of latent
prostate cancer (47%) and control (50%). In the latent
cancer group, the levels of TSPY expression could be correlated with increasing Gleason grades. TSPY expression was detected in seven out of nine high-grade latent
cancer samples (Gleason 7 and more). The expression of the TSPY binding partner EEF1A was detectable in all prostate specimens, but the levels were higher in
cancer cells in clinical and latent
prostate cancer specimens than normal prostatic cells. These observations suggest that expressions of TSPY and its binding partner EEF1A are associated with the development and progression of
prostate cancer.