title: Genetic analysis of neuroendocrine tumor cells in prostatic carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuroendocrine differentiated tumor cells can be found in the majority of prostatic adenocarcinomas. During antiandrogen or androgen-withdrawal therapy the neuroendocrine differentiation is often increased but its prognostic value is discussed controversially. The origin of neuroendocrine tumor cells is under discussion. While double staining experiments suggest a non-neoplastic pluripotent stem cell, in vitro studies demonstrate a transdifferentiation of exocrine tumor cells to a neuroendocrine phenotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neuroendocrine differentiated LNCaP cells and laser captured microdissected cells of eight radical prostatectomies were allelotyped using 11 microsatellite markers from seven different loci.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Identical allelic profiles were detected in untreated and neuroendocrine differentiated LNCaP cells for all markers confirming their clonality. Neuroendocrine and exocrine tumor cells from radical prostatectomies shared identical allelic profiles for all markers, suggesting a common origin for both cell populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the concept of transdifferentiation of exocrine tumor cells to a neuroendocrine tumor cell phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roemer
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grobholz
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm