De Miguel P, Bethencourt R, Ruiz A, Fraile B, Paniagua R
Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, E-28871, Spain.
Cytokine. 1999 Sep;11(9):722-7. doi: 10.1006/cyto.1998.0443.
Immunoreaction to TGF-alpha was limited to the basal epithelial cells of focal areas in the normal prostates. In benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) the immunostained areas were more widespread and immunolabelling was observed in both basal and columnar (secretory) cells of the epithelium. Some cells in the connective tissue stroma were also stained. In prostatic adenocarcinoma, epithelial immunostaining was even more extensive and intense than in BPH, and some stromal cells were also stained. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) immunostaining was only present in some basal cells in normal prostates. In BPH, this immunoreaction was strong in the basal cells and even stronger in the secretory cells. In prostatic cancer, the intensity of epithelial cell immunoreactivity was intermediate between that of normal prostates and that of BPH specimens. EGF-receptor immunostaining was focal and located in the basal cells in normal prostates. In BPH, labelling was also localized in basal cells but extended to wider areas. Some stromal cells appeared weakly labelled. In the prostatic carcinoma, both basal and columnar cells appeared stained and the number of immunolabelled stromal cells was higher than in BPH. The results presented suggest that, in normal conditions, EGF and TGF-alpha act as autocrine growth factors for the basal cells of the prostatic epithelium. In BPH this action is maintained and, in addition, the columnar cells start to secrete both factors which are bound by the basal cell receptors, giving rise to a paracrine regulation which probably overstimulates basal cell proliferation. In prostatic carcinoma, besides these regulatory mechanisms, the acquisition of EGF-receptors by the secretory cells develops an autocrine regulation which might induce their proliferation.
对转化生长因子α（TGF-α）的免疫反应仅限于正常前列腺局灶区域的基底上皮细胞。在良性前列腺增生（BPH）中，免疫染色区域更为广泛，上皮的基底细胞和柱状（分泌）细胞中均观察到免疫标记。结缔组织基质中的一些细胞也被染色。在前列腺腺癌中，上皮免疫染色比BPH更为广泛和强烈，一些基质细胞也被染色。表皮生长因子（EGF）免疫染色仅存在于正常前列腺的一些基底细胞中。在BPH中，这种免疫反应在基底细胞中较强，在分泌细胞中更强。在前列腺癌中，上皮细胞免疫反应性的强度介于正常前列腺和BPH标本之间。EGF受体免疫染色呈局灶性，位于正常前列腺的基底细胞中。在BPH中，标记也定位于基底细胞，但扩展到更广泛的区域。一些基质细胞呈弱阳性标记。在前列腺癌中，基底细胞和柱状细胞均被染色，免疫标记的基质细胞数量高于BPH。所呈现的结果表明，在正常情况下，EGF和TGF-α作为前列腺上皮基底细胞的自分泌生长因子。在BPH中，这种作用得以维持，此外，柱状细胞开始分泌这两种因子，它们被基底细胞受体结合，从而产生旁分泌调节，这可能过度刺激基底细胞增殖。在前列腺癌中，除了这些调节机制外，分泌细胞获得EGF受体还会形成自分泌调节，这可能诱导它们的增殖。
