Gordon G B, Helzlsouer K J, Comstock G W
Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
Cancer Res. 1991 Mar 1;51(5):1366-9.
Dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate are endogenous steroids largely produced in the adrenal cortex and excreted in the urine. Many studies have demonstrated that administration of dehydroepiandrosterone to animals protects against a variety of chemical carcinogens. Epidemiological studies suggest that the circulating levels of these steroids in humans are related to the risk of developing some cancers and of dying from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We measured serum levels of both of these steroids in 35 individuals who donated serum to a community-based serum bank in 1974 and who subsequently developed bladder cancer and in 69 matched controls from the same cohort of volunteers. Prediagnostic serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were significantly lower among cases compared with controls. The risk of developing bladder cancer increased monotonically with decreasing serum levels of both steroids. The observed associations were not affected by adjustment for smoking or the time interval between serum collection and diagnosis. These results support a role for dehydroepiandrosterone and/or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in the prevention of bladder cancer.
脱氢表雄酮和硫酸脱氢表雄酮是主要在肾上腺皮质产生并经尿液排泄的内源性类固醇。许多研究表明，给动物施用脱氢表雄酮可预防多种化学致癌物。流行病学研究表明，人类中这些类固醇的循环水平与患某些癌症的风险以及死于动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病的风险有关。我们测量了1974年向一个社区血清库捐献血清且随后患上膀胱癌的35名个体以及来自同一志愿者队列的69名匹配对照者的这两种类固醇的血清水平。与对照相比，病例组中诊断前脱氢表雄酮和硫酸脱氢表雄酮的血清水平显著较低。患膀胱癌的风险随着这两种类固醇血清水平的降低而单调增加。观察到的关联不受吸烟调整或血清采集与诊断之间时间间隔的影响。这些结果支持脱氢表雄酮和/或硫酸脱氢表雄酮在预防膀胱癌中发挥作用。
