Significantly downregulated transcript of SP-D was observed in both early stage (PIN: precancerous) and advanced stage (poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma; PD) of tumour development compared to age-matched non-transgenic littermates (control), a finding similar to our earlier report of a significant downregulation of SP-D mRNA in the androgen-sensitive human LNCaP cells (16). This evidence concerns the gene SFTPD and adenocarcinoma.