Elevated expression of PCGEM1, a prostate-specific gene with cell growth-promoting function, is associated with high-risk prostate cancer patients

PCGEM1 is a novel, highly prostate tissue-specific, androgen-regulated gene. Here, we demonstrate that PCGEM1 expression is significantly higher in prostate cancer (CaP) cells of African-American men than in Caucasian-American men (P=0.0002). Further, increased PCGEM1 expression associates with normal prostate epithelial cells of CaP patients with a family history of CaP (P=0.0400). PCGEM1 overexpression in LNCaP and in NIH3T3 cells promotes cell proliferation and a dramatic increase in colony formation, suggesting a biological role of PCGEM1 in cell growth regulation. Taken together, the cell proliferation/colony formation-promoting functions of PCGEM1 and the association of its increased expression with high-risk CaP patients suggest the potential roles of PCGEM1 in CaP onset/progression, especially in these high-risk groups.