title: Hepsin in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the current study we verified whether the expression of hepsin in prostate cancer (PCa) of samples obtained from radical retropubic prostatectomies (RRP) was significantly different from the adjacent normal prostatic tissue. METHODS. We evaluate the expression of hepsin by using immunohistochemistry in PCa tissue in respect to the adjacent normal tissue, of 18 patients who underwent RRP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepsin positive immunoreactivity was estimated on the staining intensity as negative (0), weakly positive (1+), moderately positive (2+), and strongly positive (3+). Hepsin immunoreactivity was detected in 100.0% PCa: 94.4% of cases showed a moderate/strong intensity, 5.6% a weak intensity. The adjacent benign prostatic tissue demonstrated a 83.3% of weak intensity, 11.1% had no reactivity and 5.6% were moderately intense. PCa demonstrated a significant higher (P<0.05) hepsin intensity (2.67) than the adjacent benign tissue (0.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepsin should be regarded as a novel potential immunohistochemical marker for the histopathological diagnosis of PCa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. giannapace@gmail.com
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pomante
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicentini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C055645:hepsin