title: Breast duct fluid dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in fibrocystic disease.
abstract: We studied the DHAS concentrations in breast duct fluids obtained by nipple aspiration from 73 healthy non-lactating women and 23 women with gross cystic disease (GCD) of the breast. The presence of DHAS in breast fluid is age-related: no DHAS could be detected in breast fluid in 50% of healthy subjects aged 20-30 years and in 29% of healthy subjects aged 31-40 years. All healthy subjects aged 41-50 years showed DHAS in breast fluid. All but two fluids obtained from GCD patients (age range 20-40 years) contain DHAS. Moreover the DHAS concentration in this group was higher than in age-matched controls (P less than 0.01). Higher DHAS levels in GCD patients may thus be regarded as a factor modifying the mammary hormonal environment, possibly involved in the clinical course of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone