I'unndaiion o f Collaborating Hospitals in Hast Groningen,

Wc investigated the keratin phenotype and bcl-2 im-munoreactlvity of neuroendocrine cells in the human prostate to determine whether the postmitotic status o f these cells is associated with protection from apo-ptosls by bcl-2 protein expression and to elucidate the possible cell kinetic relationship between neuroendo crine cells and the other epithelial components of the prostate. Tissue specimens were selected from pros tates of 19 patients harboring normal secretory glands (n = 15) and glandular benign prostatic hyper plasia (n = 10). Using a novel sequentially selective dcstalnlng immunoen/ymatic cytochemlcal tech nique we were able to demonstrate the distribution of neuroendocrine cells, keratin markers Identifying ei ther basal, luminal, or intermediate cells » and th