Tumor expression of human chorionic gonadotropin beta mRNA and prognosis of prostate cancer treated by radical prostatectomy.

The beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCGβ) is encoded by six genes () classified as type I and type II. mRNA is produced in large amounts by trophoblastic tissues and in small amounts by several cancerous tissues including prostate cancer and by a few benign tissues, including the prostate. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to study the expression levels of all mRNAs together (total mRNA) and the two types of mRNA separately in non-cancerous ( = 74) and cancerous prostatic tissue obtained by radical prostatectomy ( = 193). RNA was isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples and mRNA levels of were correlated with disease-specific survival. Total mRNA concentrations were significantly lower ( < .0001) in cancerous than non-cancerous prostatic tissue. Separate analysis of type I and type II mRNA showed that both type I ( < .0001) and type II mRNA ( = .007) are lower in cancerous tissue than in non-cancerous tissue. Low type II mRNA level in cancerous tissue was associated with shorter cancer-specific survival ( = .001) of prostate cancer patients treated by radical prostatectomy.