Vitamin D Receptor Immunoexpression in Benign and Malignant Prostate Tumors

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is a major health concern of men. Vitamin D can modulate innate or adaptive immune responses. The anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects of Vitamin D are mediated through gene transcription by Vitamin D receptor (VDR), including angiogenesis and tumor cell invasion. Targeted therapy in carcinoma prostate such as is as calcitriol is an alternative therapy for better treatment outcome. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We investigated VDR immunoexpression in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate adenocarcinoma. The cross-sectional study, categorical analysis of 60 paraffin blocks consist of 30 samples diagnosed as BPH, and 30 samples of prostate adenocarcinoma were divided three grading groups based on Patterns of Gleason: low, moderate, and high grade. Immunostaining was used to evaluate the VDR immunoexpression by histoscore. RESULTS: The results showed that strong expression of VDR was 40% in BPH and 33.33% in prostate adenocarcinoma (p = 0.961). The strong expression of VDR in low, moderate, and high grade was 10%, 3.33%, and 20%, respectively. Statistically, there is no significant different (p = 0.906). CONCLUSION: Positive immunoexpression of VDR affected the differentiation of prostatic adenocarcinoma.