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Immunohistochemical Localization of the Retinoic Acid Receptors in Human Prostate

ALINA JOYCE

FRANK FROMOWITZ

From the Departments of ^* Department of Surgery, Division of Urology and Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, and VA Medical Center, East Orange, New Jersey.

Correspondence to: Dr Hosea F. S. Huang, Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, UMD-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103 (e-mail: huanghf{at}umdnj.edu).

Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) are nuclear transcription factors that mediate the effects of retinoids. Aberrant expression and regulation of RARs have been linked to various malignancies, including steroid-related breast and cervical cancers. Our previous results also suggest that prostate cancer is associated with altered RAR signaling. To understand the relationship between RAR signaling and prostate cancer, the current study examined the cellular distribution of RAR-, -ß, and - in human prostate tissues exhibiting different pathologic conditions. In histologically normal epithelium, both RAR- and - were present throughout the epithelium with minimal nuclear accumulation. RAR-ß was present only in basal epithelial nuclei. On the contrary, RAR- was significantly increased in the nuclei of luminal epithelial cells, and both RAR-ß and - were increased in basal and luminal epithelial nuclei in glands exhibiting benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). RAR- was also increased in luminal epithelial nuclei in glands exhibiting prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia (PIN). In these glands, RAR-ß was persisting in basal epithelial nuclei that were also RAR- positive. In low- and intermediate-grade cancerous glands, RAR- was also significantly increased in luminal epithelial nuclei, and a strong RAR- signal was seen in some cells. RAR-ß was absent in these glands. Both RAR- and - were also increased in high-grade cancer cells. In conclusion, current results demonstrated changes in cellular distribution of RAR- and - in human prostate tissues exhibiting different pathologies. These results suggest links between altered RAR signaling and deregulated cell growth and/or tumorigenic transformation of prostate epithelial cells.

     Key words: Prostate carcinoma

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