PRESENCE OF ERG GENE REARRANGEMENTS AND PROTEIN OVER-EXPRESSION IN LOW GRADE PIN (LG-PIN) IN PROSTATE BIOPSIES

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide methods for the early detection of ERG over-expression, gene rearrangements, and prognosis of prostate cancer using a combined FISH assay.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a method for early stage diagnosis of prostate cancer in a subject comprising determining the presence of low-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (LG-PIN) in the subject, comprising: providing a sample from a subject; determining the presence or absence in the sample of a gene fusion having a 5' portion from a transcriptional regulatory region of an androgen regulated gene and a 3' portion from an ERG gene by detecting chromosomal rearrangements of genomic DNA using a nucleic acid hybridization technique; and detecting the over-expression of ERG protein using an immunohistochemistry assay, wherein the presence in the sample of both the gene fusion and over expression of ERG is indicative of low-grade PIN related to presence of cancer in the subject or is predictive of cancer, and the subject has previously been deemed negative for prostate cancer.SELECTED DRAWING: None