Angiotensin converting enzyme, angiotensin II, angiotensin II receptors of the first and second types represent the "classical" axis of regulation of the renin-angiotensin system. OBJECTIVE: to analyze the role of the components of the renin-angiotensin system in the pathogenesis of proliferative lesions of the prostate glan MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 63 patients who underwent transrectal prostate biopsy. The first group consisted of 19 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, the second group consisted of 19 men whose prostate cancer was detected during repeated biopsy, the third group consisted of 25 men with prostate cancer detected during primary prostate biopsy. The expression of angiotensin II type II (AT2-R) receptors in prostate tissue was evaluated using primary polyclonal antibodies Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor and the EnVision FLEX imaging system (Dako, Denmark) according to a standard technique. The activity of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was determined in the secret of the prostate gland, RESULTS: It was found that the activity of ACE in the secret of the prostate gland in proliferative diseases is significantly higher than in the "healthy" prostate. The highest activity of ACE was noted for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and the minimum - for prostate cancer. The expression of AT2-R in prostate tissues in proliferative diseases of the prostate gland has its own characteristics. The expression of AT2-R in the prostate stroma turned out to be the same, in the nuclei of epithelial cells, the level of expression of AT2-R decreased in the range of BPH-PIN-CP. Thus, an increase in the activity of ACE, the accumulation of angiotensin II in prostate secretions in proliferative prostate diseases against the background of a deficiency of AT2-R is the metabolic basis of malignant transformation of the prostate gland. CONCLUSION: The levels of ACE activity in prostate secretion and the expression of AT2-R in prostate tissue during primary prostate biopsy can be considered as promising prognostic tools for early detection of prostate malignancy.
Keywords: angiotensin II type 2 receptors; angiotensin-converting enzyme; benign prostatic hyperplasia; prostate cancer; prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.