title: Three predominant prostatic proteins.
abstract: Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), prostate-specific antigen (PSA; or gamma-seminoprotein), and beta-microseminoprotein (beta-MSP; PSP94 or beta-inhibin) are the three predominant proteins secreted by the normal human prostate gland. In the epithelium of normal and hyperplastic prostatic acini and ducts PAP, PSA and beta-MSP have an identical immunohistochemical localization. Highly differentiated (grade I) carcinomas contain an almost equal number of PAP-, PSA- and beta-MSP-immunoreactive cells; the incidence of these cells is lower and they display a greater staining variability in the moderately and poorly (grade II-III) differentiated tumours. Especially in poorly differentiated tumours PSA seems to be a more sensitive immunohistochemical marker than PAP or prostatic carcinomas. Moreover, the use of PAP as a marker for prostatic carcinomas is complicated by the reported structural similarities between the prostatic secreted acid phosphatase and lysosomal acid phosphatase occurring in all tissues. The use of beta-MSP as a marker for prostatic carcinomas may be limited by indications of non-prostatic production of this protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Lund, Malmö General Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Abrahamsson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lilja
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C043076:beta-microseminoprotein; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen