Transforming growth factor-β3 is expressed in nondividing basal epithelial cells in normal human prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and is no longer detectable in prostate carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Djonov, Valentin; Ball, Roland K.; Graf, Simon; Mottaz, Alain E.; Arnold, Anne-Marie; Flanders, Kathy; Studer, Urs E.; Merz, Vincent W.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 375 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-4137
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19970501)31:2<103::aid-pros5>3.0.co;2-o

✦ Synopsis

Background:

We investigated the role of the transforming growth factor beta (tgf-beta) family in the neoplastic progression of the human prostate.

Methods:

Expression of tgf-beta mrna was measured by northern blot analysis of tissue extracts, and tgf-beta protein by immunohistochemical analysis of tissue sections. proliferating cells were detected by their expression of ki-67 antigen.

Results:

The level of tgf-beta 1 mrna was equal among normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (bph), and prostate carcinoma. tgf-beta 2 mrna was not detectable, and tgf-beta 3 mrna was expressed 20-fold lesion in carcinoma compared to bph and normal prostate. tgf-beta 1 protein was expressed in the stromal cells in all three tissues and tgf-beta 3 protein in the basal layer of epithelial cells, but not in carcinoma. proliferating epithelial cells fail to express tgf-beta 3.

Conclusions:

Tgf-beta 1 and tgf-beta 3 are independently regulated, and carcinoma of the prostate is characterized by the loss of basal epithelial cells expressing tgf-beta 3.