5'-nucleotidase activity in prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
In light of previous reports of alterations in 5'-nucleotidase activity in neoplastic conditions, 5'-nucleotidase activity was examined histochemically in tissue sections and quantified biochemically in extracts of human hyperplastic prostates and prostatic carcinomas obtained surgically. The 5'-nucleotidase activities per mg protein in extracts of 29 prostatic carcinomas were lower (P less than 0.0005) than in extracts from 10 samples of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The 5'-nucleotidase activity per mg protein in extracts of prostatic carcinoma from the 29 patients correlated (R = -0.369, P = 0.049) with the degree of histological differentiation; the extracts of poorly differentiated carcinomas contained low levels of 5'-nucleotidase. When age and histological differentiation (Gleason's grade) were adjusted, the enzyme activity per mg protein correlated (R = 0.242, P = 0.004) with patient survival. When all three parameters were considered together, i.e., histological grade of the tumor, 5'-nucleotidase extracted from the tumor, and age of the patient, they were found to be mutually complementary for the prediction of patient survival (R = 0.388, P = 0.0001). To our knowledge, this is the first report that prostatic epithelium expresses 5'-nucleotidase; further work will be required to define the reasons for the high levels of activity observed in prostates without cancer and for the decrease in the activity in prostatic carcinoma.
Rackley
R R
RR
Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
Lewis
T J
TJ
Preston
E M
EM
Delmoro
C M
CM
Bradley
E L
EL
Resnick
M I
MI
Pretlow
T P
TP
Pretlow
T G
TG
D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*
D009708:Nucleotidases; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase