title: [Role of neuroendocrine cells in prostate cancer progression].
abstract: Neuroendocrine (NE) cells represent the third epithelial cell type on normal prostatic tissue (in addition to basal and secretory cells). They are localized in all regions of the human prostate at birth but rapidly decrease in the peripheral prostate after birth, and then reappear at puberty. After puberty, their number seems to increase until an apparently optimum level is reached, which persists between the age of 25 and 54. NE cells were defined by Pearse as APUD to refer to chemical characteristics of amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation, common to the cells of this system. The most predominant product of prostatic NE cells is Chromogranin A, but they also produce serotonin, CgB, secretogranin or CgC, thyroid-stimulating hormone-like peptide, calcitonin, katacalcin, PTHrP and a-human chorionic gonadotropin-like peptide. NE cells in normal and neoplastic prostates are devoid of androgen receptors, but they express epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and c-erbB-2. For these reason NE cells are androgen-insensitive. The NE component of prostate adenocarcinoma is resistant to hormone therapy; some studies showed that the number of NE tumor cells and CgA serum levels increase with the recovery of human prostate tumor from hormonal therapy. Currently there are no clinical data available to support an active role of radiotherapy in NE differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Ginecologico Ostetriche e Scienze Urologiche, Università di Roma Sapienza, Roma, Italy. sciarra.md@libero.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciarra
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innocenzi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravaziol
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minisola
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfarone
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cattarino
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panebianco
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Silverio
mesh_terms: D001078:APUD Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D053378:Chromogranin B / Q000378:metabolism; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D055099:Neuroendocrine Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D053379:Chromogranin A; D053378:Chromogranin B; D002864:Chromogranins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D036361:Peptide Hormones; C051065:THRSP protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012701:Serotonin; C037553:katacalcin; D002116:Calcitonin