title: Neuroendocrine differentiation in stage D2 prostate cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chromogranin A (CgA) and neuro-specific enolase (NSE) are gaining acceptance as markers of several types of neuroendocrine tumors and the concentration of CgA and NSE have been reported to be elevated in relation to neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer. The aim of the present study was to examine the correlation between the immunohistochemical (IHC) findings and serum value for CgA and NSE in untreated stage D(2) prostate cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry was carried out using antibodies against CgA and NSE in 58 patients and, pretreatment serum CgA and NSE levels were measured by monoclonal immunoradiometric assay in 18 patients with stage D(2) prostate cancer treated by androgen ablation. We examined the relationship of the pretreatment serum level to IHC findings for CgA and NSE in prostate cancer patients to clinicopathological parameters, and prognosis. Also, we evaluated the correlation of IHC findings to serum levels for CgA and NSE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant correlation between CgA positivity and serum CgA level (P = 0.0421). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between NSE positivity and serum NSE level (P > 0.05). We divided stage D(2) patients into three groups according to IHC positivity of CgA and NSE. The cause-specific survival was significantly poorer in patients with strongly positive (++) patients for independent CgA and combined CgA with NSE (P = 0.0379). Multivariate analysis of cause-specific survivals in patients with stage D(2) prostate cancer demonstrated that strong IHC stain was considered as independent variable associated with greater risk of death (P = 0.0142).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuroendocrine differentiation in stage D(2) prostate cancer has attracted considerable attention as a potentially findings prognosis. Thus, CgA had a stronger relationship between serum levels and IHC positivity in contrast to NSE, suggesting clinical usefulness as a tumor marker in predicting the extent of neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamoto
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naya
authors.forename: Naobumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tochigi
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakuta
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikura
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000473:pathology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase