Association of nm23 protein levels in human prostates with proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression at autopsy.

Objective : To investigate nm23-H1 gene expression in the human prostate. Methods : The nm23-H1 protein levels of normal prostatic tissues, latent cancers of the prostate and primary and metastatic sites of clinical prostate cancers from autopsied men were evaluated using immunohistochemical analysis. Cell proliferation in serial sections using proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity was also estimated. Results : Intense nm23-H1 staining was observed in metastatic sites of clinical prostate cancers. The incidence of intense nm23-H1 staining cells in primary sites of clinical prostate cancers was significantly higher than that found in latent cancers and normal prostates (p < 0.01). The staining pattern of nm23-H 1 was heterogeneous in latent cancers of the prostate. A significant relationship was observed between nm23-H1 staining and positive proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining (p < 0.01). Conclusions: These results seem to indicate that the nm23-H1 gene expression is related to cell proliferation and tumor metastatic potential, and appear to show the existence of a biologically different population of cells within the latent cancer.