Expression of prostatic acid phosphatase in human prostate cancer.

By a specific immunochemical measurement, the activity of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) in prostate cancer was found to be about 25%, on average, based on micrograms DNA or per cell, of that in normal prostate or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The reduction of PAP in prostate cancer was further revealed by a decrease in PAP protein. The 125I-labeled anti-PAP IgG specifically bound to nascent peptides on PAP-synthesizing polysomes showed no qualitative differences among cancerous prostate, normal prostate and BPH. However, the quantitative binding of 125I-labeled anti-PAP IgG to polysomes of cancerous prostate was half that of normal prostate of BPH. These data suggest that a significant amount of PAP and its synthesizing polysomes was reduced in prostate cancer as a result of PAP gene suppression.