Background: Focal atrophy is presumed to be an indirect forerunner of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to examine genetic alterations in prostate epithelia deriving from atrophic areas and compare these findings with those of cells deriving from paired prostate cancer in the same patient.
Methods: Formalin fixed paraffin wax-embedded prostatectomy specimens from 20 prostate cancer patients were utilized in this study. Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) was performed on atrophic areas. To validate the CGH results, Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed on atrophic areas and paired cancer tissue.
Results: Gain of the whole chromosome X was found as sole aberration in seven (70%) atrophic tissues by CGH. A gain of centromere X was observed in 13 (68.4%) atrophic areas and in 18 (90%) cancer tissues using FISH.
Conclusions: Our investigation reconfirms the genetical instability of cells of the atrophic acini and attention of relevance of gain of chromosome X in atrophic areas.