DHT Concentrations in Human Prostate Cancer Tissue*

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Abstract
Levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were measured in prostate tissue from treated and untreated patients with cancer of the prostate and were compared with values found in untreated benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and a variety of non-androgen target tissues. Average DHT in 17 patients with untreated cancer was 3.2 ng/g compared with an average of 5.0 ng/g in 17 patients with BPH (P < 0.01). Non-androgen target tissues averaged 0.93 ng/g and all contained < 1.8 ng/g except for bile, a component of which was shown to move with DHT in a TLC system. In prostate cancer tissue from 3 of 4 estrogen-treated patients, DHT levels were similar to untreated cancer whereas 1 patient had a value resembling non-androgen target tissues. Among 6 other patients previously treated with combined castration and estrogen or castration alone, 2 had prostate DHT concentrations similar to untreated prostate cancer. Although average DHT levels are significantly lower in untreated prostate cancer tissue than in BPH, approximately 2/3 of the values in both groups overlap. Since prostate DHT levels depend on tissue 5.alpha.-reductase, cytosol receptor and nuclear acceptor, those tumors with values of DHT overlapping with BPH levels suggest tumor differentiation. A discrepancy between histologic grading as an index of differentiation and DHT levels was noted in 5 of 17 patients. Prostate cancers from patients treated with estrogen alone, estrogen + castration or castration alone may show significant amounts of DHT (> 1.8 ng/g) in the cancer tissue suggesting inadequate estrogen suppression of T substrate (non-castrates only) or conversion of significant amounts of adrenal cortical androgens to DHT within the prostate.

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