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Histological and quantitative analyzes of the stromal and acinar components of normal human prostate zones
Author(s) -
Alves Edilaine F.,
de Freitas Ribeiro Bruno Leonardo M.,
Costa Waldemar S.,
Gallo Carla B. M.,
Sampaio Francisco J. B.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.23472
Subject(s) - prostate , stromal cell , prostate disease , medicine , pathology , stroma , immunohistochemistry , cancer
Background McNeal divided the human prostate into three major anatomical areas: the peripheral zone (PZ), the central zone (CZ), and the transition zone (TZ). Each of these areas is biologically and histologically distinct. The PZ and TZ have clinical significance and are associated with prostate cancer (PC) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), respectively. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the parenchymal and stromal components that constitute the different prostate zones. Methods We assessed 19 samples from each prostate zone. The samples were obtained from necropsies of young people between 18 and 32 years of age with intact urogenital tracts. The samples were fixed in 4% buffered formalin and processed for paraffin embedding. Sections with a thickness of five micrometres were obtained from each sample. The sections were stained using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques to identify the acinar and stromal components of each zone. Photomicrographs were obtained for morphometric analysis using an algorithm based on color segmentation. Data were analyzed using one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Bonferroni post‐test. Differences with P < 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. Results Collagen fibres were more numerous in the TZ (+40.26%; P = 0.0230) than in the PZ. Muscle fibres were also more numerous in the TZ (+47.05%; P = 0.0120) than in the PZ. Elastic system fibres in the TZ significantly differed from those in the PZ (+84.61%; P = 0.0012) and the CZ (+61.66%; P = 0.0074). Similarly, nerves in the PZ (−42.86%; P = 0.0107) significantly differed from nerves in the CZ. Epithelial height was lower in the TZ than in the PZ (−30.17%; P = 0.0034) and the CZ (−25.01%; P = 0.0330). Conclusion Our objective, quantitative data regarding the various elements that constitute the normal prostate stroma allowed us to reveal differences among prostate zones. This study established patterns for normal parameters and may be used for posterior comparisons in histopathological analysis.