Pathological aspects of prostate cancer and benign nodular hyperplasia

The aim of the study was to investigate tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) which play a role in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Additionally, different prostate tumors were immunohistochemically related to their potential precursor cells, the basal cells and the glandular secretory epithelium, which differ in their hormone responsiveness. By PCR-amplification of microsatellite-DNA we found allelic losses of chromosomal loci near known or putative TSGs to increase with the malignancy grade of prostate carcinoma. When investigated for numerous markers common and endometrioid carcinoma were immunohistochemically related to the secretory epithelium while the rare basal cell tumor, containing the estrogen receptor, squamous cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma showed features of the basal cells. In histopathological differential diagnosis high molecular weight basal cell keratins, prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate specific antigen may be of value. Stromal type nodular hyperplasia and the fetal prostate mesenchyme had common immunohistochemical features which might reflect analogous development.