APUD cells in normal and hyperplastic prostates.

Argyrophilia and argentaffinity, as basic properties of APUD cells, were investigated in 50 normal and hyperplastic prostates, which included both autopsy and surgical specimens from patients of various ages. Normal prostates (including glands from 3 foetuses) had 62% of argyrophil-positive granules in the glandular epithelia, while only 44% of the hyperplastic glands were positive. Argentaffin-positive cells were found in 12% of the surgical hyperplastic cases. Both argyrophil and argentaffin cells were distributed in zones, often in lobule-like shapes, lying along the basal membrane. On the basis of these findings, there is a discussion on the possible roles played by the so-called APUD cells in hyperplastic and neoplastic growths of the prostate, such as carcinoid tumours (apudomas) or endocrine-associated syndromes in the course of prostatic cancer.