Immune profiling of human prostate epithelial cells determined by expression of p38/TRAF-6/ERK MAP kinases pathways

The aim of the present work was to study the immune profiling of prostate epithelial cells by the expression of ASK-1/p38 and Raf-1/ERK MAP Kinases signaling pathways mediated by TRAF-6. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses for TRAF-6, ASK-1, MEK-6, p38, Raf-1, MEK-1, ERK-1, ERK-2 and PSA were carried out in 5 samples of normal prostate gland, 24 samples of BPH and 19 samples of PC. Immunoreaction to TRAF-6 was found in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells of BPH and tumor cells of PC samples. For patients with the profile (TRAF-6+), optical densities revealed a weak immunoexpression of ASK-1 in PC compared to BPH patients. Whereas, immunoexpression to Raf-1 was higher in PC than in BPH. According to the expression of ASK-1 and Raf-1, two main profiles were identified: (TRAF-6+, ASK-1+, Raf-1+) and (TRAF-6+, ASK-1+, RAF-1-) in both BPH and PC. In addition, ASK-1/p38 axis expression was increased in BPH. Raf-1/ERK signaling pathway was increased in PC samples. On the other hand, representing of individual signaling protein expression enclosing each of p38 and ERK MAP Kinases according to TRAF-6+ showed a qualitative behavior of ASK61/p38 and Raf-1/ERK signaling pathways and a dynamic expression of PSA associated with immune and inflammatory process. These findings suggest that prostate epithelial cell could able an immune and inflammatory setting. Copyright (C) 2017, Kaohsiung Medical University. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.