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Prostatic Endocrine-Paracrine Cells: Recent Findings and Possible Relationship to Nodular Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostatic Neoplasia

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Progress in Surgical Pathology

Abstract

Endocrine-paracrine cells of the human prostate gland and urethra (APUD) have been studied recently in our laboratory. Cytochemical, immunocytochemical, and ultrastructural investigations have shown these endocrine-paracrine cells to be much more numerous and diverse than previously suspected. These endocrine-paracrine cells are of the open, closed, and dendritic types, and most, if not all, contain serotonin. A few of these cells contain somatostatin. At least four cell types can be defined by silver stains and immunocytochemistry and possibly as many as nine cell “types” based on secretory granule morphology. Endocrine-paracrine (EP) cells could play a central role in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia and carcinoma.

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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di Sant’Agnese, P.A., de Mesy Jensen, K.L. (1988). Prostatic Endocrine-Paracrine Cells: Recent Findings and Possible Relationship to Nodular Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostatic Neoplasia. In: Fenoglio-Preiser, C.M., Wolff, M., Rilke, F. (eds) Progress in Surgical Pathology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-12820-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-12820-6_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-12822-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-12820-6

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