Androgen receptors in untreated and treated prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of androgen deprivation therapy on the expression of androgen receptors (AR) and the proliferation-associated MIB-1 antigen in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) was investigated.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue sections of prostatectomy specimens of patients with prostate cancer who either were not treated prior to surgery or received androgen blockade therapy for 3 months. Immunohistochemistry on slides, selected for the presence of PIN was performed with an AR-specific monoclonal antibody and MIB-1 using a microwave antigen-retrieval method.


RESULTS
AR expression was present in a majority of cells in PIN of both untreated and treated prostatectomy specimens. In addition, a proportion of normal prostatic glandular cells retained AR expression. The basal cells in both untreated and treated PIN did not express AR. MIB-1-positive cells were identified in PIN of untreated and treated cases.


CONCLUSIONS
PIN lesions that persist after 3 months of androgen deprivation therapy continue to express AR and may therefore retain the potential to expand after cessation of this therapy.
van der Kwast
T H
TH
Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Têtu
B
B
D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D019048:Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen