Changes in the normal-looking epithelium in prostates with PIN or cancer.
BACKGROUND
In prostatic neoplasia, the time from tumour initiation and progression to invasive carcinoma often begins in men in the fourth and fifth decades of life and extends across decades. Until recently, the events initiating the process and the developments concomitant with the evolution towards invasive disease were largely unknown.


METHODS
Quantitative and analytical methods are applied to provide insights into certain individual molecular events and their effects on the complex multiple feedback system of cellular metabolism and regulation in prostate neoplasia.


RESULTS
Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostate cancer (PCa) are associated with or possibly preceded by changes in the chromatin of secretory cell nuclei. The changes are detectable with a Bayesian belief network and quantifiable by computer image analysis in prostatic tissue that still appears histologically normal. In addition, normal looking prostate epithelium shows some molecular changes similar to those present in the associated preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions. Such changes are also occasionally present in normal prostate glands without PIN and cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
The subtle morphological and molecular changes of normal looking epithelium might be seen as the onset of the development of prostatic neoplasia.
Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University of Ancona School of Medicine, Ancona, Italy.
P
P
Colanzi
A
A
Santinelli
R
R
Mazzucchelli
R
R
Pomante
R
R
Montironi
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D019048:Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism
D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D019098:Telomerase