Neuroendocrine cells in peripheral prostatic zone: age, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and latent cancer-related changes.
The neuroendocrine cells (NCs) in the peripheral prostatic zone of 32 patients without prostatic symptoms and with an average age of 61.4 +/- 6.7 (range 48-75) years were studied, and it was found that most are closed-type cells (95.8%) and that there is a gradual fall both in their total number and the number per square millimeter (p = 0.03) with advancing age. There were microscopic foci of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) in 59.3% of the patients and occult carcinomas in 28.1%, but no statistical relationship was found between these lesions and the number of NCs (p = 0.35 and p = 0.9, respectively). The gradual increase in NCs in the peripheral zone of normal prostates as of adolescence, reported in the literature, would appear to support a possible androgenic action on these cells. Our finding of a decrease in patients with foci of PIN and carcinoma from the fifth decade suggests that this decrease in NCs may make the prostate more susceptible to carcinogenic factors.
Algaba
F
F
Section of Pathology, Fundació Puigvert, Barcelona, Espaãna.
Trias
I
I
Lopez
L
L
Rodriguez-Vallejo
J M
JM
Gonzalez-Esteban
J
J
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery