Cellular Plasticity in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis

Table 1

Descriptive characteristics of included studies.

Year of publication	Number of studies
1999	1
2000	1
2002	3
2004	1
2005	1
2008	3
2010	3
2011	3
2012	2
2013	1
Sample size	Median (range)
Number of BM specimens	17 (2–184)
Number of primary PC specimens	22 (6–112)
Number of nonskeletal specimens	23 (7–97)
Tissue comparisons	Number of studies
Studies that used matched samples	7
Comparisons between BM and primary PC	14
Comparisons between BM and nonskeletal metastases	7
Comparisons between different BM tissues	2
Markers analysed	Number of studies
Stem cell markers	8
EMT/MET markers	11
Main method of marker detection	Number of studies
Immunohistochemistry (IHC)	18
In situ hybridisation (ISH)	1
Tumour grade and treatment status	Number of studies
Studies that reported tumour grade	12
Studies that reported treatment status	9
Criteria used to score expression	Number of studies
Pattern of distribution of staining across cell	6
Percentage of positive cells in each specimen	5
Staining intensity scoring	2
Staining intensity multiplied by % of positive cells	5
Quantitative analysis of % of positive staining areas using Image Pro Plus 6.2 software	1
Did not report a scoring method	2
Reporting of results	Number of studies
Statistical analysis of differential expression	11

Note: BM: bone metastasis.