Endo180 expression with cofunctional partners MT1-MMP and uPAR-uPA is correlated with prostate cancer progression.

Endo180 (CD280; MRC2; uPARAP) regulates collagen remodelling and chemotactic cell migration through cooperation with membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). One hundred and sixty nine prostate tissue sections clinically graded as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (n=29) or prostate cancer (PCA) with Gleason scores indicating low (< or =7(3+4); n=26), intermediate (7(4+3)-8; n=96) or high (9-10; n=19) clinical risk were immunofluorescently stained for Endo180, pan-cytokeratin (pCk), vimentin, MT1-MMP and uPAR-uPA. Quantification of % Endo180(+)/pCk(-) and Endo180(+)/pCk(+) cells in entire tissue cores revealed stromal (p=0.0001) and epithelial (p=0.0001) upregulation of Endo180 in PCA compared to BPH. Epithelial Endo180 expression was significantly different between the three clinical risk groups of PCA (p<0.05). Correlations with MT1-MMP and uPAR-uPA confirmed the functionality of Endo180 during PCA progression. This molecular evaluation is the first step in the exploration of Endo180 in PCA diagnosis and therapy.