Preparation of a single prostate needle biopsy specimen for histological diagnosis and RNA analysis.

PURPOSE

When a prostate needle biopsy specimen is used for molecular study, a second specimen from the same area as the first one has previously been required for pathological diagnosis. However, we developed a method for obtaining substances such as RNA and we also made pathological diagnosis possible from a single needle biopsy specimen, improving reliability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prostate needle biopsy specimens from 118 patients were frozen in optimal cutting temperature compound. Tissue from the upper part of the frozen specimen was sectioned longitudinally for histopathological examination. The remainder of the specimen was placed in TRIzol reagent to extract total RNA for molecular biological investigation.

RESULTS

Pathological diagnosis and total RNA extraction (1.6 to 32.7 microg) could be obtained from 1 needle biopsy specimen. When 2 specimens were obtained from the same area of the prostate, pathological diagnoses were discordant in 19% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

We established a method for histopathological diagnosis in the prostate needle biopsy specimen used for molecular investigation. This single specimen method may facilitate molecular research in prostate cancer.