ANDROGEN LEVELS IN THE PLASMA AND PROSTATIC TISSUES OF PATIENTS WITH BENIGN HYPERTROPHY AND CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE

Abstract

SUMMARY Specific radioimmunoassays for testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and androstenedione were carried out to measure the concentrations of the three hormones in the plasma and prostatic tissue of ten patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and ten patients with carcinoma of the prostate. The results indicate that there are no significant differences between the peripheral plasma concentrations of testosterone, DHT and androstenedione in BPH [19·7 ± 2·6, 2·6 ± 0·9 and 5·5 ± 1·7 (s.e.m.) nmol/l respectively] and in carcinoma 16·9 ± 2·8, 2·4 ± 0·5, 4·4 ± 1·1 nmol/l respectively], (in all cases P > 0·1). In contrast, the prostate tissue ratios DHT: testosterone (3·59 ± 0·55 for BPH and 0·66 ± 0·09 for carcinoma) and androstenedione: testosterone (2·83 ± 0·38 for BPH and 1·07 ± 0·16 for carcinoma) are significantly less in carcinoma than in benign hypertrophy (in all cases P < 0·01). The accumulation of testosterone in the carcinoma, relative to values found in BPH tissue is, therefore, not associated with changes in the concentrations of androgens in the plasma pool but may be related to local factors and metabolic changes within the prostate.