Yoselin B. Macías-Gutiérrez, Centro Médico Naval, Secretaría de Marina, Ciudad de México, México
Tania P. Alvarez-Domínguez, Centro Médico Naval, Secretaría de Marina, Ciudad de México, México
Oscar A. Reboreda-Hernandez, Laboratorio de Patología, Departamento de Morfología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
Nayeli Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Laboratorio de Patología, Departamento de Morfología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
Background: Prostate cancer is a leading malignancy in men, with high incidence and mortality rates in Mexico. Tumorassociated macrophages (TAMs), particularly M1 and M2 subtypes, critically influence the tumor microenvironment. The proteins TRAF3 and STAT6 are key regulators of macrophage polarization, but their expression patterns in prostate tissue are not fully characterized. Objectives: The objective of the study was to identify and analyze the expression of TRAF3 and STAT6 in prostate cancer tissues from a cohort of Mexican patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study was conducted on 99 prostate biopsy samples from patients with suspected prostate cancer. Samples were processed by paraffin-embedding, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry to assess TRAF3 and STAT6 expression. Results: The cohort included glandular adenocarcinoma (85.9%) and multifocal acinar adenocarcinoma (14.1%). A key finding was the consistent expression of TRAF3 in all multifocal cases. Overall, STAT6 expression was detected in a significant portion of the tumors. Conclusion: The expression of TRAF3 and STAT6 suggests a potential role for these proteins in macrophage polarization and prostate cancer progression. These findings highlight them as possible molecular targets that warrant further investigation, especially in high-incidence regions such as Mexico.
Keywords: Macrophage polarization. Prostate cancer. STAT6. TRAF3.
