[Neuroendocrine differentiation and markers of cell proliferation in a group of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma and normal or high serum prostate-specific antigen levels].
OBJECTIVE
Study the morphologic characteristics of neuroendocrine cells in prostate cancer with normal versus elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA).


METHODS
372 cases of prostate cancer were identified during a 13 year period, of which 19 displayed normal PSA (group I). Sixteen controls with elevated PSA and similar histopathological characteristics (group II) were included. We studied the degree of tumor necrosis, vascular and perineural invasion. Synaptophysin (SP), neuron specific enolase (NSE), PSA, Ki-67 and p53 inmunoreactivity were also analyzed.


RESULTS
Group I positive findings were 61% PSA, 28.6% SP. 7.1% NSE, 50%p53, and 78.6% Ki-67. Group II positive findings were 93% PSA, 13.3% SP, 26.6% NSE 46.6% p53, and 66.7% Ki-67. When we used a <80% cut off point for PSA immunoreactivity in tumor cells, 69.2% of group I and 21.4% of group II were found.


CONCLUSIONS
The sole histopathological finding that showed statistical significance was the tissular expression of the specific prostatic antigen in 80% of neoplasic cells in group I. The increase of neuroendocrine cells was associated with a smaller number of tissular antigen producing cells, a finding that could be more apparent if we were to study a larger sample size.
Feria-Bernal
Guillermo
G
Departamento de Urologia, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México D.F., México. gferiab@yahoo.com.mx
García-Gonzalez
Victor Manuel
VM
Figueroa-Granados
Víctor
V
Martinez-Benítez
Braulio
B
Uribe-Uribe
Norma Ofelia
NO
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen