Colony-stimulating factors detected in tumor cells and voided urine are potential prognostic markers for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy

The clinical use of macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has improved the safety of cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, the overexpression of these CSFs in cancers has been reported to be associated with a poor prognosis in various malignancies. We evaluated the potential of CSF expression as a predictor of clinical outcome in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Consecutive patients (n=58) with MIBC who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) were included in this retrospective study. Treatment-naïve tumor specimens obtained by initial transurethral resection of bladder tumors prior to RC were immunostained with antibodies against macrophage colony-stimulating factor, G-CSF, and GM-CSF. We compared the clinicopathological variables and survival between these groups. Baseline levels of CSFs in the serum and voided urine were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with the expression of CSFs in the tumor lesions.

Low expression of GM-CSF in the tumor cells was significantly correlated with a pathological T4 category (vs T2-3; P=0.02). In univariate survival analysis, high G-CSF and low GM-CSF expression in the tumor lesion were associated with poor outcomes. Furthermore, Cox proportional regression analysis revealed that high G-CSF and low GM-CSF expression in the tumor were independent predictors of shorter recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival. The levels of CSFs in voided urine were associated with the expression of CSFs in the tumor lesions.

GM-CSF and G-CSF expression in the tumor lesions obtained by initial transurethral resection are independent predictors of poor outcome in MIBC after RC. Levels of G-CSF and GM-CSF in urine before treatment could be useful in prognostication.

Research and reports in urology. 2018 Sep 21*** epublish ***

Yosuke Morizawa, Makito Miyake, Keiji Shimada, Shunta Hori, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Yasushi Nakai, Nobumichi Tanaka, Tomomi Fujii, Kiyohide Fujimoto

Department of Urology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan, ., Department of Pathology, Nara City Hospital, Nara, Japan., Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.