Immunoreactivity of ubiquitin in human prostate gland.
BACKGROUND
Ubiquitin is a low molecular weight protein which has been detected in a variety of normal and cancerous tissues. It is involved in many regulatory processes including protein proteolysis. It has been implicated in tumor pathogenesis. The role of ubiquitin in human prostate gland is investigated in this study.


METHODS
In this study, we utilized immunohistochemistry technique to localize ubiquitin in human prostate gland and correlate it with different pathological conditions of the prostate.


RESULTS
Ubiquitin was localized in normal, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic adenocarcinoma with variations in the distribution and intensity. In BPH, ubiquitin immunoreactivity was localized mainly in the nuclei while in the adenocarcinoma was localized mainly in the cytoplasm.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of ubiquitin mainly in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm of BPH and prostatic adenocarcinoma, respectively, may suggest a role of ubiquitin in the development of the above mentioned conditions. Ubiquitin could be used as a potential marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of pathological conditions of the prostate.
Bataineh
Ziad M
ZM
Department of Human and Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. ziad@just.edu.jo
Habbal
Omar
O
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D025801:Ubiquitin