Prostein expression in human tumors - A tissue microarray study on 19,202 tumors from 152 different Tumor entities

Sep 21, 2026

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Prostein (P501S), also known as SLC45A3, is an androgen-regulated protein reported as frequently expressed in prostate epithelial cells and often proposed as a diagnostic prostate cancer marker. A tissue microarray with 19,202 samples from 152 tumor types and 608 normal-tissue samples was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results show cytoplasmic, granular, perinuclear staining and high sensitivity in prostate cancer, while low strong staining and broader positivity occur across other tumor entities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages13

Reading Time33 min

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Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Viehweger etal. Diagnostic Pathology (2024) 19:12 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s13000-023-01434-5](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13000-023-01434-5) Diagnostic Pathology RESEARCH Open Access Prostein expression in human tumors: a tissue microarray study on 19,202 tumors from 152 different Tumor entities Florian Viehweger1, Carola Böcker1, Sören Weidemann1, Morton Freytag1, Anne Menz1, Franziska Büscheck 1, Andreas M. Luebke 1, Devita Putri1, Martina Kluth1, Claudia Hube‑Magg1, Andrea Hinsch 1, Maximilian Lennartz 1, Florian Lutz 1, Viktor Reiswich1, Doris Höflmayer 1, Christoph Fraune 1, Katharina Möller 1, Christian Bernreuther 1, Patrick Lebok1,2, Guido Sauter1, Stefan Steurer 1, David Dum 1, Andreas H. Marx3, Ronald Simon1*, Till Krech 1,2, Till S. Clauditz 1, Frank Jacobsen1, Natalia Gorbokon1, Eike Burandt 1, Sarah Minner 1 and Simon Kind 1 Abstract Background Prostein (P501S), also termed solute carrier family 45 member 3 (SLC45A3) is an androgen regulated protein which is preferentially expressed in prostate epithelial cells. Because of its frequent expression in prostate cancer, prostein was suggested a diagnostic prostate cancer marker. Methods In order to comprehensively assess the diagnostic utility of prostein immunohistochemistry, a tissue micro‑ array containing 19,202 samples from 152 different tumor types and subtypes as well as 608 samples of 76 different normal tissue types was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results Prostein immunostaining was typically cytoplasmic, granular and perinuclear. Prostein positivity was seen in 96 . 7% of 419 prostate cancers including 78. 3% with strong staining. In 16,709 extra‑prostatic tumors, prostein posi‑ tivity was observed in 7 . 2% of all cases but only 0 . 3% had a strong staining. Overall, 50 different extra‑prostatic tumor categories were prostein positive, 12 of which included at least one strongly positive case. Extra‑prostatic tumors with highest rates of prostein positivity included different subtypes of salivary gland tumors (7 .6‑44.4%), neuroendo‑ crine neoplasms (15 .8‑44.4%), adenocarcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract (7 .3‑14. 8%), biliopancreatic adenocarcino‑ mas (3 .6‑38. 7%), hepatocellular carcinomas (8 . 1%), and adenocarcinomas of other organs (up to 21%) . Conclusions Our data provide a comprehensive overview on prostein expression in human cancers. Prostein is a highly sensitive prostate cancer marker occurring in > 96% of prostate cancers. Because prostein can also be expressed in various other tumor entities, classifying of a tumor mass as a prostate cancer should not be based on prostein positivity alone. Keywords Prostein, Tissue microarray, Immunohistochemistry, Human cancers *Correspondence: Ronald Simon [R.Simon@uke.de](R.Simon@uke.de) 1 Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg‑Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany 2 Institute of Pathology, Clinical Center Osnabrueck, Am Finkenhuegel 1, Osnabrueck 49076, Germany 3 Department of Pathology, Academic Hospital Fuerth, Jakob‑Henle‑Straße 1, Fuerth 90766, Germany Background Prostein (P501S), also termed solute carrier family 45 member 3 (SLC45A3) is a protein composed of 553 amino acids which is coded by the SLC45A3 gene at chromosome 1q32.1 [1]. Its function is not well known but some data suggest a role in transmembrane transport of sugars [2]. Prostein is predominantly expressed in the © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the mater

FAQs

What is prostein (P501S/SLC45A3) and why is it relevant to diagnosis?

Prostein is an androgen-regulated protein preferentially expressed in prostate epithelial cells. Its frequent expression in prostate cancer has led to interest in its use as a diagnostic marker.

How was prostein immunohistochemistry evaluated in the study?

A tissue microarray containing 19,202 samples from 152 tumor types and subtypes, plus 608 normal tissue samples from 76 tissue types, was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

How specific is prostein for prostate cancer based on the findings?

Prostein positivity was very common in prostate cancers (>96%), but prostein can also be expressed in various extra-prostatic tumors. The study concludes that prostate cancer classification should not rely on prostein positivity alone.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven