title: Apoptotic bodies in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostatic adenocarcinoma following total androgen ablation.
abstract: The frequency and location of apoptotic bodies (AB) were evaluated in hematoxylin- and eosin-stained sections of 12 radical prostatectomies from patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma pre-treated for 3 months with total androgen ablation. Results were compared with an untreated age-, morphology- and stage-matched control group. Treated prostates showed involutional changes, with cytoplasmic vacuolization and chromatin changes ranging from mild to severe condensation, similar to that observed in apoptosis. In treated benign prostatic epithelium, the mean number of AB was 1.64% (standard error (SE), 0.19%), 6.3 times greater than in the untreated group (mean, 0.26%; SE, 0.03%). AB were more frequent in the basal cell layer than in the lumenal cell layer, whereas in the untreated group, AB were almost exclusively found in the basal cell layer. In treated prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN present in 10 cases), the mean number of AB was 1.74% (SE, 0.04%), which was 2.56 and 2.32 times greater than in untreated low grade PIN (mean, 0.68%; SE, 0.15%) and high grade PIN (mean, 0.75%; SE, 0.11%), respectively. In treated and untreated PIN, the number of AB was greatest in the basal cell layer, less in the intermediate cell layer and lowest in the cell layer bordering the lumen. The mean number of AB in the 12 treated cancers was 1.35 times greater than in untreated cancers (1.80% [SE, 0.12%] versus 1.33% [SE, 0.32%], respectively). The number of AB in treated cases of the acinar pattern of cancer (present in 7 cancer cases) was 1.78 times greater than in untreated cases, and in treated cases of the cribriform pattern of cancer (present in four cases), the mean number of AB was 1.39 times greater than in untreated cases. The number of AB was greatest in the outermost cell layer, with progressive decrease in layers closer to the lumen. In the one treated case with solid/trabecular pattern of cancer, the number of AB was 1.08 times greater than in untreated cases. The gland lumina was rich in macrophages, sloughed secretory cells with degenerative features and AB. The number of AB in the lumina increased from normal epithelium through PIN to cancer, and was greater in treated cases than in untreated cases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology, University of Ancona, Nuovo Ospedale Regionale, Torrette di Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montironi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magi-Galluzzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabris
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens; D017209:Apoptosis; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy; D019048:Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens