Biomarker Potential of SLC45A3 and lncPCAT14 Expression in Prostate Cancer: A Comparative Analysis of Urine Samples from Men with Prostate Cancer and Benign Prostate Hyperplasia

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer globally and is the fifth highest contributor to cancer-related deaths in men. The purpose of this research is to investigate the potential involvement of the SLC45A3, CHRNA2, and PCAT14 genes in urine samples taken from men with prostate cancer following a digital rectal examination, compared to those with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

In this case-control study, 25 post-DRE urine samples of patients with prostate cancer and 25 post-DRE urine samples of patients with BPH were collected. RNA was extracted from the samples, and cDNA synthesis was performed. Real-Time PCR was used to quantitatively analyze the relative expression levels of SLC45A3, CHRNA2, PCAT14, and GAPDH. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 24 and GraphPad Prism 8.4.3 software.

The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to the BPH group, the expression of SLC45A3 and PCAT14 was significantly higher in PCa. Furthermore, the expression of CHRNA2 was not statistically significant (P-value<0.11). Further analyses showed that SLC45A3 (P-value<0.05) and PCAT14 (P-value<0.05) expression levels were associated with total PSA values and Gleason score of pathological study of biopsies.

In future with further studies, SLC45A3 and PCAT14 genes may be used as diagnostic molecular biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer along with PSA and other screening tests.