Tissue markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostatic carcinoma.

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and beta-microseminoprotein are organ-specific markers. Also Leu-7 may be regarded as an organ-specific marker. The main utilization of PAP and PSA immunostaining is to establish the prostatic origin of a carcinoma. Changes of PAP and PSA immunoreactivity may be correlated with histologic grade of prostatic carcinoma. Keratin expression assessment is useful to identify prostatic basal cells or epithelial secretory cells. Neuroendocrine marker reactivity in prostatic carcinoma seems to be related with increasing histologic grade and tumor progression.