Immunohistochemical detection of prostate-specific antigen expression in primary urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
BACKGROUND
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a 33-kDa serine protease that is secreted by prostatic epithelium and non-prostate tissues. Ectopic expression of PSA has also been reported in a variety of non-prostatic epithelial tumors.


METHODS
Expression of PSA and its clinical implication were examined in a total of 422 cases of primary urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.


RESULTS
Cytoplasmic reactivity to PSA was observed in 6 cases (1.4%), with the staining being to a low degree in 3 and a high degree in the remaining 3 cases. Expression of PSA was positively related to multiplicity, large tumors (> or = 3 cm) and muscle invasion (> or = pT2) (p = 0.0008, 0.004 and 0.03, respectively). Patients with tumors of low PSA expression had a better survival than those with tumors of high PSA expression (p = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Focal expression of PSA can occasionally be detected in some large, invasive urothelial cancer cells. This phenotypic change should be considered in the differential diagnosis of poorly differentiated carcinoma of the lower urinary tract.
Chen
Jung-Chin
JC
Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 704, ROC.
Ho
Chung-Liang
CL
Tsai
Hung-Wen
HW
Tzai
Tzong-Shin
TS
Liu
Hsiao-Sheng
HS
Chow
Nan-Haw
NH
Yang
Wen-Horng
WH
Cheng
Hong-Lin
HL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen