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The prostatic epithelial cell in dysplasia: an ultrastructural perspective
C R deVries1, J E McNeal, K Bensch
1Department of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305.
The Prostate
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Prostatic duct-acinar dysplasia, often invisible, was identified using low-magnification microscopy. Electron microscopy revealed dysplastic cells lack vacuoles and exhibit nuclear abnormalities, resembling invasive carcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Uropathology
- Cellular Biology
- Electron Microscopy
Background:
- Prostatic duct-acinar dysplasia is challenging to study ultrastructurally due to lesion size and location.
- Identifying and processing these small, invisible lesions for analysis is difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for identifying and analyzing prostatic duct-acinar dysplasia.
- To compare the ultrastructural features of dysplastic prostatic epithelium with normal epithelium.
Main Methods:
- Identification of dysplastic foci via low-magnification examination of tissue slice surfaces.
- Excision of identified dysplasia foci for comparative analysis with adjacent normal tissue.
- Utilizing both light microscopy and electron microscopy (EM) for detailed cellular and subcellular examination.
Main Results:
- Electron microscopy revealed a marked reduction or absence of cytoplasmic vacuoles in dysplastic cells compared to normal secretory cells.
- Both apocrine and eccrine secretion, characteristic of normal epithelium, were diminished in dysplastic areas.
- Electron microscopy highlighted significant nuclear abnormalities and qualitative basement membrane changes in dysplastic epithelium, features not as apparent with light microscopy.
Conclusions:
- Dysplastic prostatic epithelium exhibits distinct ultrastructural differences from normal epithelium, notably a lack of vacuoles and altered secretory activity.
- The ultrastructural characteristics of prostatic duct-acinar dysplasia, particularly nuclear and basement membrane abnormalities, bear a resemblance to invasive carcinoma.
- The described method enables the identification and ultrastructural analysis of prostatic duct-acinar dysplasia, facilitating further research into its pathogenesis.