Fibroblast growth factor,estrogen, and prolactin receptor features in different grades of prostatic adenocarcinoma in elderly men

The objective was to characterize and associate the receptor reactivities of fibroblastic growth factor (FGF)‐2, FGF‐7, FGF‐8, epidermal growth factor (EGF), α‐actin and vimentin in relation to the androgen receptor (AR), α and β estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), and prolactin receptor in the prostate of elderly men showing low‐ and high‐grade adenocarcinoma. Thirty prostatic samples were taken from 60‐ to 90‐year‐old patients without prostatic lesions and with low‐grade cancer and high‐grade cancer, from the University Hospital, School of Medicine, the State University of Campinas. The results showed that increased FGF‐2, FGF‐7, and FGF‐8 receptor reactivities and decreased AR reactivity were verified in both high‐ and low‐grade cancer. However, the FGF‐8 receptor showed greater involvement at the beginning of the malignancy alterations. Increased EGF receptor (EGFR) reactivity and diminished α‐actin immunohistochemistry were identified in both cancer groups. Also, increased ERα, PR, and vimentin receptors were verified in both cancer groups. To conclude, the ERα involvement in the reactive stroma activation led to a microenvironment, which was favorable to cancer progression, due to maximizing stromal imbalance. The prolactin could be related to cancer progression due to its interaction with ERα action, indicating that this hormone could be a relevant target to prevent the estrogenic effects in the prostatic lesions. Both FGF receptor (FGFR)‐2 and FGFR‐8 play a fundamental role in the early stages of prostate cancer, suggesting that these molecules could be a promising therapeutic target. The differential localization of the fibroblastic factors between the prostatic epithelium and stroma of elderly men, who presented prostate cancer, could indicate a favorable distinction for tumoral progression. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:321–330, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.