Transforming growth factor beta 1 and androgen receptors in prostate neoplasia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interplay between transforming growth factor (TGF) beta 1, androgen receptors and stromal-epithelial interactions in ben ign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) a nd prostate carcinoma areas of prostate neoplasia. STUDY DESIGN: In this immunohistochemical study we investigated staining pa tterns and then determined the correlation between TGF-beta 1: expression a nd androgen receptor status in the epithelium and stroma of 60 paraffin-emb edded tissues from radical prostatectomies. RESULTS: Staining patterns differed in the epithelium and stroma of tumor a nd peritumor prostatic tissue. TGF-beta 1 immunostaining (H-scores) in the epithelium and stroma increased significantly from BPH to PIN and from BPH to prostate carcinoma in the epithelium (P < .05), whereas androgen recepto r (AX) immunoreactivity significantly (P < .05) increased from BPH to PIN t o prostatic carcinoma in epithelium and stroma. TGF-beta 1 did not correlat e with histologic grade of differentiation, whereas AR proteins were move s trongly expressed in Gleason score 5 and 6 than score 7 tumors (P < .05). N onlinear regression showed a significant correlation (P < .01) between TGF- beta 1 and AX expression only in the stromal compartment of PIN. CONCLUSION: These findings argue in favor of an interaction between TGF-bet a 1 and AR in the early stages of prostate carcinogenesis and suggest that TGF-beta 1 plays a central role in stromal-epithelial interactions during t he early stages of malignant transformation.