title: Relationship between the prostatic tissue components and natural history of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few reports have been published on the relationship between prostatic tissue components and the natural history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The present study was undertaken to evaluate this relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine patients with BPH who underwent suprapubic prostatectomy were studied. Six infant prostates and 10 non-BPH specimens were obtained from autopsy. Specimens were stained with antibodies to alpha-smooth muscle actin, and the mean ratio of the stroma was determined with computer image analysis. Stromal ratios were evaluated according to resected prostate weight and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The stroma comprised 82.6 +/- 8.4% of the prostate area at 0-1 year of age and 43.7 +/- 5.1% at 15-28 years of age. In BPH, the stromal proportion increased to 55.9 +/- 10.2%, but decreased with increases in prostate weight and/or age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stromal component increased in patients with BPH and decreased with increased prostate weight and/or age, comprising approximately 42-47% of the prostate area, as in the non-BPH prostate, indicating a balance in prostatic tissue components in both patients with BPH and the non-BPH prostate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. BXU00710@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Takaharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujime
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suda
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011467:Prostate / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins