Immunotherapy of prostate cancer patients could overexpress the virulence factor genes of e.faecalis

Soha Sadeghi,1 Tayebe talebzade,2,* Arvin haghighatfard,3 Ali dezhgir,4 Niloofar ahmadi,5 , fahimeh baghbani-arani,6

1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Nour Danesh Institute Of Higher Education.
2. Department of Microbiology,Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University,
3. Department of biology, Tehran north branch, Islamic Azad University
4. Department of biology, Tehran north branch, Islamic Azad University
5. Department of Microbiology, research and science branch, Islamic Azad University,
6. Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Varamin-Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University,

Abstract

Introduction

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent and second cause of death from cancer in men worldwide. immunotherapy is a new method for the treatment of several cancers that fights cancer cells by strengthening the immune system through some medications. although immunotherapy is a useful method for cancer treatment; its' side effects still are not totally clarified. some of the prostate cancer patients after immunotherapy may experience prostate inflammation and prostatitis. one of the most common pathogens linked to chronic bacterial prostatitis is enterococcus faecalis. it is gram-positive and catalase-negative cocci that are common in the intestines of humans and other animals and cause most enterococcal infections. present study aimed to evaluate the mrna level of virulence genes in enterococcus faecalis in prostate cancer patients treated by immunotherapy.

Methods

Expression level of gelatinize e (gele) and enterococcal surface protein (esp) genes were examined by real time pcr in three groups of 68 male subjects. group a: normal subjects (34cases), group b: prostate cancer patients before start treatment and group c: the prostate cancer patients after six months immunotherapy period (34 caseas).

Results

Results of the study were showed that a significant over expression in gele (p=0.02, mean ratio=1.33), esp (p=0.03, mean ratio =1.36) genes were revealed in "after treatments" group (group c) in comparison to before treatment (group b) and normal subjects (group a).

Conclusion

According to the results, it is reasonable that immunotherapy may have side effects such as increasing the pathogenicity risk of microflora in patients. maybe these side effects could cause further infections after ending the immunotherapy of cancer. antibiotic usage after or at the same time of immunotherapy period could prevent possible infections of microflora including e.faecalis.

Keywords

Prostate cancer, immunotherapy, side effects, enterococcus faecalis