Immunohistochemical identification of prostatic acid phosphatase: correlation of tumor grade with acid phosphatase distribution.

The localization and distribution of prostatic specific acid phosphatase (PSAP) in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic prostates were studied by specific immunohistochemical of normal and hyperplastic prostates. In adenocarcinoma of the prostate, a correlation of the PSAP staining with the degree of differentiation and the ability of the tumor to form a gland was observed: more intense and uniform staining in well differentiated tumors and less intense and more variable stains in poorly differentiated tumors. The same correlation was also observed in tumors metastasized to lymph nodes and other organs.