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The female prostate and prostate-specific antigen. Immunohistochemical
localization, implications of this prostate marker in women and
reasons for using the term "prostate" in the human female
M. Zaviacic1 and R.J. Ablin2
1Department of Pathology, Comenius University
School of Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia and 2Innapharma, Inc.,
Suffern, NY, USA
Offprint requests to:
Professor Milan Zaviacic, MD, DSc., Department of Pathology, Comenius
University School of Medicine, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava,
Slovakia. Fax: 00421-7-59357592
Summary. Prostate-specific
antigen (PSA) is currently the most frequently used marker for
the identification of normal and pathologically altered prostatic
tissue in the male and female. Immunohistochemically PSA is expressed
in the highly specialized apically-superficial layer of female
and male secretory cells of the prostate gland, as well as in
uroepithelial cells at other sites of the urogenital tract of
both sexes. Unique active moieties of cells of the female and
the male prostate gland and in other parts of the urogenital tract
are indicative of secretory and protective function of specialized
prostatic and uroepithelial cells with strong immunological properties
given by the presence of PSA. In clinical practice, PSA is a valuable
marker for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases of the male
and the female prostate, especially carcinoma. In the female,
similarly as in the male, the prostate (Skene's gland) is the
principal source of PSA. The value of PSA in women increases in
the pathological female prostate, e.g., carcinoma. Nevertheless,
the total amount of PSA in the female is the sum of normal or
pathological female prostate and non-prostatic female tissues
production, e.g., of diseased female breast tissue. The expression
of an antigen specific for the male prostate, i.e., PSA in female
Skene's glands and ducts, and structural and functional parameters
and diseases similar to that of the male prostate, have provided
convincing evidence of the existence of a prostate in women and
definitive preference of the term "prostate" over that
of Skene's glands and ducts. The use of the term Skene's glands
incorrectly implies that some other structure rather than prostate
is involved, promoting the vestigial position of this female organ.
Histol. Histopathol. 15, 131-142 (2000)
Key words: Prostate-specific
antigen (PSA), Female prostate, Skene's gland, Male prostate,
Immunohistochemistry, Serology, Female PSA implications, Male
PSA implications, Terminology
DOI: 10.14670/HH-15.131
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