The Role of Alpha-Methyl-Co-Racemase in Differential Diagnosis of Prostate Tumours

Abstract

This is a descriptive retrospective case study aimed to identify the role of Alpha- methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) enzyme in differential diagnosis of prostate tumors using immunohistochemical method, the study was conducted during the period from March to June 2013. 30 paraffin blocks previously diagnosed as prostate tumors were collected from National public health laboratory and Soba university hospital using random simple selection method. Sections were cut and stained using two methods, histochemical method using Haematoxylin and eosin for histopathological and immunohistochemical method using dextran labeled polymer indirect technique to detect the expression of AMACR enzyme in prostate tumors. The age of study population ranged between 53 to 85 years old with a mean age 69 (±9.2) years. The study found that the majority of patients age above 61 years represent 24(80.0%) patients. Out of 30 patients with prostate tumors, histopathological diagnosed showed that 10 patients were benign prostatic hyperplasia and 20 patients were adenocarcinoma. In this study the expression of AMACR showed positive expression in only one (3.3%) patient, and negative in 9 (30.0%) patients among benign prostatic hyperplasia, while in adenocarcinoma showed positive expression in 19 (63.3%) patients and negative in only one (3.3%) patient, with significant association between the AMACR expression and types of tumors (P value >0.05). This study found no relation between AMACR expression and caner grading (P value >0.05). The study concluded that there is a significant association between AMACR expression and prostate tumors regardless to the cancer grade.