Computer based receptogram approach: an objective way of assessing immunohistochemistry of androgen receptor staining and its correlation with hormonal response in metastatic carcinoma of prostate. Issue 2 (27th January 2004)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nabi, G; Seth, A; Dinda, A K; Gupta, N P
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical pathology. Volume 57:Issue 2(2004)
• Page Start: 146
• Page End: 150
• Publication Date: 2004-01-27
• Subjects: androgen receptors -- prostate carcinoma -- hormonal treatment; PSA, prostate specific antigen; Pathology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2003.010520
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9746

Abstract

Abstract : Aims: To categorise the immunostaining heterogeneity of androgen receptors in metastatic carcinoma of the prostate using a pattern oriented approach and to correlate the results with response to hormonal treatment. Methods: Paraffin wax embedded tumour sections from 85 patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate were processed for immunocytochemistry and stained for the androgen receptor using antiandrogen receptor antibodies. A computer based image analysis system was used to analyse the pattern of nuclear immunostaining in a minimum of 500 nuclei/slide. Depending on the nuclear receptor content and concentration, receptogram patterns were established for each specimen. The receptogram pattern was correlated with clinical response to hormonal treatment. Results: Clinical response to hormonal treatment was documented using prostate specific antigen as the marker into responders (good, fair, stable) and non-responders. Forty four of 48 patients who responded to hormonal treatment had type 1 (35) or type 3 (nine) receptograms, which are characterised by a unimodal peak or multimodal peaks within a narrow concentration range. Thirteen of the 18 patients who stabilised had type 1 or type 3 receptograms. Seventeen of the 19 patients who did not respond to hormonal treatment had either type 2 or type 4 receptograms, which are characterised by skewed or bimodal androgen receptor distribution. Positive and negative predictive values of receptograms were 96.5% and 63%, respectively. Conclusions: Image analysis of androgen receptor immunostaining with a receptogram oriented approach provides important prognostic information that can be used to predict response to hormone treatment in patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.