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Frequency of apoptotic bodies positively correlates with Gleason grade in prostate cancer
M Aihara1, L D Truong, J K Dunn
1Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Abstract:
Tissue samples from patients with carcinoma of the prostate of various Gleason grades were examined for the frequency of apoptotic bodies. Apoptotic bodies were scored by morphometric methods using hematoxylin-eosin (HE)-stained sections from surgical specimens of prostate cancer. Non-neoplastic prostate tissue adjacent to foci of cancer showed a very low frequency of apoptotic bodies. Significantly larger numbers of apoptotic bodies were observed in the areas of carcinoma than in the non-neoplastic control tissues, regardless of Gleason grade. Interestingly, a positive correlation was noted between apoptotic bodies and increasing Gleason grade. The positive correlation suggests that increased programmed cell death is a feature of the increasing malignant potential that is associated with higher Gleason grade in prostate cancer.