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(American Journal of Pathology. 1999;154:863-870.)
© 1999 American Society for Investigative Pathology

Regular Articles

Prolactin Receptor Expression in the Developing Human Prostate and in Hyperplastic, Dysplastic, and Neoplastic Lesions

Irwin Leav* , Frederick B. Merk* , Kai Fai Lee , Massimo Loda , Mira Mandoki , John E. McNeal§ and Shuk-mei Ho

From the Department of Pathology,* Tufts University, Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, the Department of Biology, Tufts Unversity, Medford, Massachusetts, the Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, West Campus, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and the Department of Urology,§ Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, California

In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to localize and compare the expression of the long form of the human prolactin receptor in fetal, prepubertal, and adult prostate. Results were then compared with hyperplastic, dysplastic, and neoplastic lesions. Both receptor message and protein were predominately localized in epithelial cells of the fetal, neonatal, prepubertal, and normal adult prostate. In hyperplastic lesions the expression of the receptor was unchanged with respect to normal epithelial cells. Irrespective of grade, markedly enhanced expression of the receptor was evident in dysplastic lesions. In lower Gleason grade carcinomas the intensity of receptor signal at the message and protein levels approximated that found in normal prostatic epithelium. However, in foci within higher grade cancers, receptor expression appeared diminished. Results from our study suggest that prolactin action plays a role in the development and maintenance of the human prostate and may also participate in early neoplastic transformation of the gland. Diminution of receptor expression in high grade neoplasms could reflect the emergence of a population of cells that are no longer responsive to the peptide hormone.

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