Biochemical markers of cultured human prostatic epithelium.

Medium from primary cultures of human prostatic cells was examined for polyamines and carcinoembryonic antigen. Spermine was elevated in medium from 5 of 17 epithelial cell cultures but was not found to be a specific marker for cultured human prostatic epithelial cells. Carcinoembryonic antigen was elevated in all 27 prostate epithelial-cell culture fluids tested, 24 of which had more than 20 ng. carcinoembryonic antigen per milliliter. Medium from other cultured human cells (prostate fibroblasts, genitourinary tumor and non-tumor cells), as well as control medium, contained less than 1 ng. carcinoembryonic antigen per milliliter. Carcinoembryonic antigen, as measured in this study, is a way to demonstrate the presence of human prostatic epithelial cells in culture.