Plasma estradiol, free testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin binding capacity, and prolactin in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer

Abstract

The nature of hormonal changes with age and the possible role of these changes in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic cancer (PC) were studied by assaying the plasma levels of total and free testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), prolactin, and sex hormone binding globulin binding capacity (SHBG) in 20 normal healthy men aged 40-59 years, in 30 patients with BPH aged 63-79 years, and in 30 patients with PC of similar height, weight, and age as the BPH patients. The mean E2 was highly significantly (P less than 0.0005) lower in the PC patients and in the young controls than in the BPH patients. The mean free T was significantly higher in the young controls than in the BPH patients (P less than 0.025) and PC patients (P less than 0.0005). The PC patients had a slightly lower (P less than 0.05) mean free T and mean E2/free T ratio than the BPH patients. The mean E2/free T ratio was significantly higher in the BPH patients (P less than 0.0005) and in the PC patients (P less than 0.0025) than in the young controls. It seems possible that the observed age-dependent significant increase in plasma estrogen concentration in the BPH patients may act as a protective factor against prostatic cancer.

Serum pituitary and sex steroid hormone levels in the etiology of prostatic cancer – a population-based case-control study

“…In contrast to several previous studies (Harper et al, 1976;Bartsch et al, 1977b;Hammond et al, 1978;Habib, 1980;Saroff et al, 1980;H0isaeter et al, 1982;Zumoff et al, 1982;Ranikko & Adlercreutz, 1983;Hulka et al, 1987), the control group was population-based and prostate cancer was ruled out by digital rectal examination and serum analysis for prostate-specific antigen. Serum samples were drawn, stored and analysed according to highly standar- dised routines.…”

“…In general such comparisons have given conflicting results. Plasma testosterone levels in patients with prostatic cancer have been reported to be both higher than (Ghanadian et al, 1979;Jackson et al, 1980;Ahluwalia et al, 1981;Drafta et al, 1982), similar to (Young & Kent, 1968;Harper et al, 1976;Bartsch et al, 1977a;Bartsch et al, 1977b;Hammond et al, 1978;Habib, 1980;H0isaeter et al, 1982;Ranikko & Adlercreutz, 1983;Levell et al, 1985;Nomura et al, 1988;Hsing & Comstock, 1989;Barrett-Connor et al, 1990) and lower than (Jackson et al, 1980;Ahluwalia et al, 1981;Hill et al, 1982;Meikle & Stanish, 1982;Zumoff et al, 1982;Levell et al, 1985;Meikle et al, 1985) those in healthy controls. Similarly, conflicting results have been reported for estradiol (Harper et al, 1976;Bartsch et al, 1977a;Bartsch et al, 1977b;Hammond et al, 1978;Jackson et al, 1980;Jacobi et al, 1980;Ahluwalia et al, 1981;Drafta et al, 1982;Hill et al, 1982;H0isaeter et al, 1982;Meikle & Stanish, 1982;Ranikko & Adlercreutz, 1983;Hulka et al, 1987;Nomura et al, 1988;Hsing & Comstock, 1989;…”

“…In two instances, steroid hormone levels were analysed in serum samples stored for a number of years before the disease was manifested, using a nested case-control design (Nomura et al, 1988;Barrett-Connor et al, 1990). In general, however, serum samples were drawn at the time of diagnosis of the cases (Harper et al, 1976;Bartsch et al, 1977a;Bartsch et al, 1977b;Hammond et al, 1978;Ghanadian et al, 1979;Habib, 1980;Jackson et al, 1980;Saroff et al, 1980;Ahluwalia et al, 1981;Drafta et al, 1982;Hill et al, 1982;H0isaeter et al, 1982;Meikle & Stanish, 1982;Zumoff et al, 1982;Ranikko & Adlercreutz, 1983;Meikle et al, 1985;Hulka et al, 1987;Hsing & Comstock, 1989). In general such comparisons have given conflicting results.…”

Andropause: Hormone Replacement Therapy in the Ageing Male

“…In fact, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) seems to be related to an increased estrogen/androgen ratio, particularly in stroma of the prostate [26, 27, 28]. …”

Effects of Mepartricin (S–160) on Spontaneous Canine Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

“…The increased serum free estradiol/free testosterone ratio with increasing age could have a particular role in assisting the development of BPH [4, 5]. Serum estrogen levels seem to be higher in BPH patients than in age–matched patients with prostatic carcinoma or in younger, healthy subjects [6]. Further support for the involvement of estrogen in the development of BPH stems from the fact that estrogen receptors (ER) are present in human BPH tissue and estrogens and ER are preferentially accumulated in the stroma [7, 8].…”