RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OESTRADIOL-17β, TESTOSTERONE, DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE AND 5α-ANDROSTANE-3α,17β-DIOL IN HUMAN BENIGN HYPERTROPHY AND CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE
The relationship between the concentrations of oestradiol, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol in circulating blood and prostatic tissues was studied in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and carcinoma of the prostate. All steroids were measured by radioimmunoassay. In patients with BPH the tissue concentrations of oestradiol, testosterone, DHT and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol expressed per kg wet weight were 228·6 ± 7·4 (s.e.m.) pmol, 1·29 ± 0·06 nmol, 25·61 ± 1·15 nmol and 1·43 ± 0·10 nmol respectively. The corresponding values for carcinomatous tissues were 380·1 ± 19·4 pmol, 7·20 ± 1·10 nmol, 12·32 ± 1·56 nmol and 1·99 ± 0·32 nmol. Significant differences (t-test) were found between the mean concentrations of oestradiol (P P P P r = −0·49, P r = −0·44, P P <0·01) than with carcinoma. No significant correlations were found between the tissue concentrations of these steroids and the corresponding plasma values, which suggested that their metabolism and accumulation in prostatic tumours are independent of their plasma concentrations.