ASSOCIATION OF NM23 PROTEIN-LEVELS IN HUMAN PROSTATES WITH PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN EXPRESSION AT AUTOPSY

Objective: To investigate nm23-H1 gene expression in the human prostat e. Methods: The nm23-H1 protein levels of normal prostatic tissues, la tent cancers of the prostate and primary and metastatic sites of clini cal prostate cancers from autopsied men were evaluated using immunohis tochemical analysis. Cell proliferation in serial sections using proli ferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity was also estimated. Res ults: Intense nm23-H1 staining was observed in metastatic sites of cli nical prostate cancers. The incidence of intense nm23-H1 staining cell s in primary sites of clinical prostate cancers was significantly high er than that found in latent cancers and normal prostates (p < 0.01). The staining pattern of nm23-H1 was heterogeneous in latent cancers of the prostate. A significant relationship was observed between nm23-H1 staining and positive proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining (p < 0.01). Conclusions: These results seem to indicate that the nm23-H1 gene expression is related to cell proliferation and tumor metastatic potential, and appear to show the existence of a biologically differen t population of cells within the latent cancer.