Role of Growth Factors in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Yoon, Ha Na; Choi, Hak Ryong

Abstract

PURPOSE: The enlargement of a prostate afflicted with benign prostatic hyperplsia(BPH) is known to be caused by the proliferation of prostatic cells under the influence of androgen, growth factors and interaction among cells. However, their roles are not yet to be clearly identified. Thus, we studied about the role of the growth factors in development of BPH.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We randomly selected 46 patients who received transurethral resection of prostate(TURP) due to prostatic enlargement and were confirmed as BPH pathologically. Their prostatic sizes were measured using transurethral ultrasonography. Paraffin embedded specimens from the TURP were stained with H&E (hematoxylin-eosin). Point count method was applied to obtain the ratio among the sizes of stroma, epithelium, and glandular lumen. Immunohistochemical stain was conducted on bFGF(basic fibroblast growth factor: goat polyclonal antibody), and TGF-beta 2(transforming growth factor-beta2: rabbit polyclonal antibody). The intensity of fluorescence (stroma; 0+1+,2, glandular epithelium 0,+1,+2,+3) of bFGF and TGF-beta2 was obseNed in 20 low power field under the light microscope, then measured to get an average.
RESULTS
The mean sixte of prostate was 44.2(+/-21.0)ml and the ratio among the sizes of stroma, glandular epithelium, and gladular lumen was 5.6:4:2.1, meaning that stroma took up the largest part of a prostate. The degree of expression of bFGF and TGF-beta2 was significantly different between actively proliferating group and inactively proliferating group(when the proliferation rate was less than 3%, n=26).
CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that growth factors such as bFGF and TGF-beta2 affected the proliferation rate, with individual differences and differences in time. We think they play different roles in influencing the rate according to cellular components such as stromal and glandular epithelial cells.