Over 90% of prostate cancers express telomerase activity. In an experimental model, hsp90 and p23, which are necessary for telomerase assembly and function, dramatically increase during tumorigenic conversion. We immunohistochemically analyzed 60 prostate carcinomas, 50 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PIN) and 25 benign prostatic tissues to determine whether hsp90/p23 expression correlates with advancing stage and whether chaperone distribution overlaps with hTERT, the catalytic component of telomerase. Strong expression of hsp90/p23 was detected in ≈95% of PIN and carcinomas without relationship to Gleason score. While hsp90/p23 immunostaining was predominantly diffuse and cytoplasmic, nuclear immunoreactivity was observed in several moderate-to-high grade carcinomas, and those carcinomas with nuclear chaperone staining exhibited detectable hTERT. Our data suggest enhanced chaperone-mediated telomerase assembly as a mechanism for increased activity in advanced prostate carcinomas, stable association between chaperones and telomerase in vivo, and utility for chaperone immunostaining to identify focal PIN in the context of widespread hyperplasia.

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