Figure 3. Similar changes in EMT-related protein expression to those observed in whole-mount specimens can be observed within discrete foci of abnormality within a “heterogeneity tissue microarray”.

This microarray contains 7 cores (one from each of the extraprostatic extension component, central tumour, and “deep” tumour of the “index” prostate cancer, one from a synchronous focus of pT2 prostate cancer, one from each of the adjacent and distant benign peripheral zone, and one from the transitional zone) from each of 13 radical prostatectomy cases. A trend towards increased cytoplasmic α-smooth muscle actin and increased cytoplasmic E-cadherin was observed in extraprostatic extension versus pT3a “mid-” and “deep”-areas in these samples. For several EMT-related proteins the pattern of expression in the extraprostatic extension component of pT3a disease was similar to that observed in a separate focus of pT2 disease.