Correlation of biochemical (receptors, endogenous tissue hormones) and quantitative morphologic (stereologic) findings in normal and hyperplastic human prostates.

In previous light and electron-microscopic analyses human benign prostatic hyperplasia was shown to be predominantly a stromal disease; the aim of the present study was to correlate the stereological data with the levels of the endogenous tissue hormones (androgens, estrogens, progesterone) in normal (N) and hyperplastic human prostatic tissues (BPH). BPH tissue specimens were obtained by open prostatectomy (n = 25); normal prostatic tissue was obtained from kidney donors (n = 5). No statistically significant difference was found between normal and hyperplastic tissue. Testosterone BPH 0.69 +/- 0.44, N 0.25 +/- 0.12; 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone BPH 7.0 +/- 2.9, N 4.2 +/- 0.7; progesterone BPH 0.059 +/- 0.022, N 0.058 +/- 0.005; estrone BPH 0.10 +/- 0.03, N 0.14 +/- 0.03; estradiol BPH 0.07 +/- 0.02, N 0.05 +/- 0.02; estriol BPH 0.02 +/- 0.01, N 0.04 +/- 0.02. Using a Spearman rank correlation coefficient a statistical analysis was performed for age, weight of the prostate, absolute stereological data and the endogenous prostatic hormones. As can be seen from the statistical analysis there is a poor correlation for 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone and the amount of the glandular epithelium; otherwise no correlation of the endogenous tissue hormones with the stereological data investigated was found. These data show that the stromal overgrowth of benign hyperplasia is not reflected in the tissue hormone levels.