Abstract
A morphometric analysis was performed to obtain quantitative data on age-related changes in prostatic endocrine cell (PrEC) density. Sixty prostates from subjects aged 14–74 years were studied with a semi-automatic image analysis system (ASM 68K, Leitz) applied to sections immunostained for chromogranin A-reactive cells. The highest density of PrECs (0.366 cells/mm of epithelial length) was found in the 25–54 year age group, which was significantly different from that found in prostates of the younger (0.311 cells/mm) and the older (0.261 cells/mm) age groups. The data probably reflect the higher incidence of incompletely developed glandular units in the younger group and the formation of new alveoli related to the usual glandular hyperplasia that occurs with increasing age in the older group.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrahamsson PA, Alumets J, Waldstrom L, Falkmer S, Grimelius L (1987) Peptide-hormone- and serotonin-immunoreactive tumour cells in carcinoma of the prostate. In: Murphy GP, Khoury S, Kuss R, Chatelain C, Denis L (eds) Prostate cancer, part A. Research, endocrine treatment, and histopathology. Liss, New York, pp 489–502
Abrahamsson PA, Falkmer S, Falt K, Grimelius L (1989) The course of neuroendocrine differentiation in prostatic carcinomas. An immunohistochemical study testing chromogranin A as an “endocrine marker”. Pathol Res Pract 185:373–380
Battaglia S (1989a) Classification of prostate atrophy. In: Karr JP, Yamanaha H (eds) The second Tokyo symposium on prostate cancer. Elsevier, New York, pp 148–160
Battaglia S (1989b) Epithelial hyperplasia of the prostate gland. In: Karr JP, Coffey DS, Gardner W (eds) Prognostic cytometry and cytopathology of prostate cancer. Elsevier, New York, pp 122–137
Battaglia S (1991) Histogenesis of incidental carcinoma of the prostate. In: Altwein J, Faul P, Schneider W (eds) Incidental carcinoma of the prostate. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 63–73
Capella C, Usellini L, Buffa R, Frigerio B, Solcia E (1981) The endocrine component of prostatic carcinomas, mixed adenocarcinoma-carcinoid tumours and non-tumour prostate. Histochemical and ultrastructural identification of the endocrine cells. Histopathology 5:175–192
Green DM, Bishop AE, Rees H, Polak JM (1986) ECL cell population in normal human fundus (abstract). J Pathol 148:115
Green DM, Bishop AE, Rindi G, Lee FI, Daly MJ, Domin J, Bloom SR, Polak JM (1989) Enterochromaffin-like cell populations in human fundic mucosa: quantitative studies of their variations with age, sex and plasma gastrin levels. J Pathol 157:235–241
Oesterling JE, Hauzeur CG, Farrow GM (1992) Small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the prostate: a clinical, pathological and immunohistological study of 27 patients. J Urol 147:804–807
Pretl K (1944) Zur Frage der Endokrinie der menschlichen Vorsteherdrüse. Wirchows Arch 312:392–404
Sant'Agnese PA di (1992) Neuroendocrine differentiation in carcinoma of the prostate. Cancer [Suppl] 70:254–268
Sant'Agnese PA di, Mesy Jensen KL de (1987) Neuroendocrine differentiation in prostatic carcinoma. Hum Pathol 18:849–856
Sant'Agnese PA di, Mesy Jensen KL de, Churukian CJ, Agarwal MM (1985) Human prostatic endocrine-paracrine (APUD) cells. Distribution analysis with a comparison of serotonin and neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivity and silver stains. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109:607–612
Sant'Agnese PA di, Davis NS, Chen M, Mesy Jensen KL de (1987) Age-related changes in the neuroendocrine (endocrine-paracrine) cell population and the serotonin content of the guinea pig prostate. Lab Invest 57:729–736
Shaw PA (1991) The topographical and age distributions of neuroendocrine cells in the normal human appendix. J Pathol 164:235–239
Takahashi T, Shimazu H, Yamagishi T, Tani M (1980) G cell populations in resected stomachs from gastric and duodenal ulcer patients. Gastroenterology 78:498–504
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Battaglia, S., Casali, A.M. & Botticelli, A.R. Age-related distribution of endocrine cells in the human prostate: a quantitative study. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 424, 165–168 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193496
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00193496