IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF CHROMOGRANIN-A AND CHROMOGRANIN-BAND SECRETOGRANIN-II IN NORMAL, HYPERPLASTIC AND NEOPLASTIC PROSTATE

Routinely processed normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic prostatic tiss ue was immunohistochemically investigated with antibodies against chro mogranin A and B and secretogranin II. In normal and hyperplastic pros tates all three peptides were immunolocalized in scattered neuroendocr ine cells situated within the glandular epithelium. In 17 prostatic ca rcinomas with pronounced neuroendocrine differentiation and in a case of prostatic carcinoid, chromogranin B was the major component whereas chromogranin A and secretogranin II were virtually absent in poorly d ifferentiated (grade III) tumours. Neuroendocrine differentiation in p rostatic cancer is most likely to be associated with a poor clinical o utcome; thus, chromogranin B appears to be a useful marker in the hist opathological diagnosis of these neoplasms.