QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FREQUENCY AND LOCATION OF CELL-PROLIFERATION AND DEATH IN PROSTATE PATHOLOGY

This paper evaluates the use of quantitative methods to accurately ass ess cell proliferation and death in untreated and treated prostate les ions. The analysis of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-staine d nuclei allow precise evaluation of the proliferating cells and exact identification of their location in the progression of untreated pros tatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) to prostatic adenocarcinoma (PAC ). The evaluation of the frequency and location of apoptotic bodies (A Bs) gives accurate information on the apoptotic phenomenon in PIN comp ared to normal prostate (NP) and PAC. In fact, the frequency of ABs in creases from NP to PIN to PAC and parallels that observed with PCNA. H owever, the AB-related values were approximately one-eighth to one-ten th of those obtained with PCNA immunostaining. Combination endocrine t herapy (CET) decreases the proliferative activity and enhances the apo ptosis phenomenon in NP, PIN, and PAC. This might indicate that CET co uld induce a certain degree of regression not only of PAC, but also of PIN. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.