4%) pT3 134 (27.6%) N Stage   pN+ 21 (4.3%) Histological Gleason score < 7 278 (57.2%) Histological Gleason score = 7 173 (35.6%) Histological Gleason score >7 35 (7.2%) The present

study included 486 patients (median age 64 yrs, ranging from 44-75). The TNM classification staging were found to be ABT-263 nmr 352 pT2 (72.4%) and 134 pT3 (27.6%). Twenty one patients (4.3%) showed regional lymph node disease (N+). The histology tests examined found 278 tissues with a Gleason score of <7 (57.2%); 173 with a Gleason score = 7 (35.6%), of these 122 had a score of 3+4 (705% and 51 with a 4+3 (29.5%) and 35 with a Gleason score of >7 (7.2%). The median PSA circulating pre-operative level was 7.61 ng/ml (range 0.75-125). One hundred forty eight patients (30.5%) had a pre-operative PSA ≤10 ng/ml; 338 patients (69.5%) had a PSA > 10 ng/ml. PSA was significantly associated with pT stage (pT2 with PSA abnormal 23.6% vs pT3 48.5%, p < 0.0001) and Gleason score (PSA abnormal 60% in the Gleason score >7 vs 29.5% in the Gleason score = 7 vs 27.3% in the Gleason score <7, p < 0.0001). In 114 patients pre-operative circulating CgA levels were elevated (23.5%). The serum CgA levels had no Selleck LCL161 significant association with

PSA (p = 0.44) and pT stage (p = 0.89). Classifying cases on the basis of the Gleason score (> 7 vs = 7 vs < 7), abnormal CgA levels increased from a Gleason score of <7 (25.5%) to a Gleason score of >7 (31.4%) (p = 0.12). In addition, the statistical analysis of serum CgA levels, were carried out separately in the two groups of patients and were then Dipeptidyl peptidase subdivided before and after 2005 (on the basis of a different used assay), showing no correlation among serum CgA and other parameters. Discussion Neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation frequently occurs in common prostate malignancies and it is attracting increasing attention in prostate cancer research. Virtually all prostate adenocarcinomas show NE differentiation as defined by the NE marker chromograninA. Angelsen et al. reported that CgA positive tumours presenting high serum CgA levels, suggested that the CgA should be a useful marker for predicting the JQEZ5 molecular weight extent of NED

in prostate cancer [16]. NE differentiation, however, occurs only in the G0 phase of the cell cycle when tumour cells are usually resistant to cytotoxic drugs and radiotherapy. Even NE tumour cells do not proliferate, they produce NE growth factors with mitogenic activity that promote cell proliferation and induce anti-apoptotic features in non-NE cells in close proximity to NE cells through a paracrine mechanism [17]. Neoplastic epithelial cells may become more responsive to NE products by upregulation of the neuropeptides receptors, or may stimulate NE cells to up-regulate the secretion and synthesis of their products [4]. Neuroendocrine tumour cells lack androgen receptors and are androgen insensitive in all stages of the disease.