title: Photodynamic selectivity of 5-aminolevulinic acid to prostate cancer cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the selectivity of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) as a photosensitizer to malignant prostatic cells in men undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen patients with localized prostate cancer were included in the study. Eighteen patients received 5-ALA and one patient did not receive it and was used as a control. The dose was 20mg /kg body weight, 15 patients received 5-ALA 4 hours before radical prostatectomy, two patients received it 2 hours before prostatectomy through a Ryle tube, and one patient received 5-ALA 12 hours before the operation. The removed prostates were examined for protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence macroscopically, by fluorescence microscopy and by light microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All carcinomas showed a clear evidence of PpIX-enrichment except in the control case. The enrichments were strong (++) in 15 cases and weak (+) in 3 cases. Two of those three cases were given 5-ALA two hours through a Ryle tube before excision of the prostate as well as the patient who was given 5-ALA 12 hours preoperatively. No PpIX enrichment was observed in the stroma of the prostate gland or in the benign tissue sections in any case (0/19).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral 5-ALA is selectively concentrated in malignant cells of the prostate. This may lead to the clinical application of photodynamic therapy for localized prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Urology, Minoufiya University, Egypt. smasultan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sultan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sultan
authors.forename: Abdel-Alim M
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Doray
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abdel-Gawad
authors.forename: Alaa El-Deen
authors.initials: Ael-D
authors.lastname: El-Mahdy
authors.forename: Wael
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khoder
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001682:Biological Availability; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid