SPINK1 expression and outcomes postprostatectomy in race-specific cohorts.

23Background: The SPINK1 molecular subtype has been shown to be more common in African American (AA) men with prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa) than European Americans (EA). Other studies have suggested that SPINK1 expression is associated with more aggressive disease. However, there have been limited studies examining clinical outcomes by SPINK1 status in racially diverse cohorts. Methods: The objective was to determine the associations between SPINK1 subtype, race, and clinical and pathologic outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP). A total of 186 AA and 206 EA men who underwent RP at Johns Hopkins were matched according to pathologic Gleason grade. We examined SPINK1 status by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays using a genetically validated assay. ERG and PTEN were assessed previously using validated immunohistochemistry assays. SPINK1 prevalence was compared between races. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard analyses assessed the association of SPINK1 status with pathologic and onco...