title: Circulating unconjugated 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol in elderly men and patients with prostatic tumours.
abstract: Circulating levels of 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol (diol) were measured in 24 elderly men (50-80 years) without prostatic tumours and compared with 32 patients (54-84 years) with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and 32 patients (51-85 years) with carcinoma of the prostate (Ca). The mean +/- s.e.m. for serum concentrations of diol in patients with BPH, Ca and normals were 813 +/- 43, 524 +/- 35 and 635 +/- 28 pmol/l, respectively. There were significant differences between the mean values of these groups. The increased level of diol in BPH patients, when compared to the normals, corresponds to our previous report of elevated levels of its precursor, namely 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), in these patients. Although the mean values for diol were significantly different between the BPH and Ca patients, the scattered values within each group could not be utilized as an index to differentiate the two groups of patients.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000097:blood*; D000732:Androstanols / Q000097:blood*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000732:Androstanols; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol