Immunohistochemical study of the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostatic carcinoma

The present study provides an analysis of immunohistochemical expression and localization of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in formalin fixed paraffin embedded specimens of prostate. Thirty-five cases each of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and prostatic carcinoma and 30 cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) were taken up for study. Streptavidin biotin peroxidase method was employed for immunohistochemical staining. EGFR positivity was observed in all the cases (100%) of BPH and PIN and in only 10 cases (28.5%) of prostatic carcinoma. In both BPH and PIN the basal cells revealed significantly higher intensity and percentage cell positivity than the luminal cells. Intensity and percentage of positively stained basal cells in BPH was higher than PIN basal cells but the difference was not statistically significant. The intensity and percentage cell positivity of BPH basal cells and PIN basal and luminal cells were significantly greater than the epithelial cells of prostatic carcinoma. Presently, the significance of variable expression of EGFR in various types of prostatic lesions is unknown.