title: Breast tissues in transsexual women--a nonprostatic source of androgen up-regulated production of prostate-specific antigen.
abstract: The present study made use of the female transsexual model and sought to evaluate the contributions of the ovarian, endometrial, and breast tissues to the androgen up-regulated production of prostate specific antigen (PSA). Serum levels of PSA were significantly raised in female transsexuals before surgery, after long-term androgen therapy (mean +/- SE = 35.3 +/- 6.2 pg/mL) when compared with female transsexuals before surgery, but with no androgen therapy (mean +/- SE = 1.53 +/- 0.25 pg/mL). In addition, in androngenized female transsexuals, after surgery, concentrations of PSA (mean +/- SE = 14.5 +/- 2.8 pg/mL) were significantly lowered compared with androngenized female transsexuals after surgery, but the levels were, nevertheless, significantly higher than in normal females. Monthly i.m. injection of 250 mg Sustanon-250 to female transsexuals had raised serum testosterone levels to within the male range. In five subjects, in whom serial measurements were taken, serum testosterone levels were greatly raised 24 h after the testosterone therapy; the mean level (+/-SE) was 19.5 +/- 2.1 ng/mL. But in spite of these high testosterone levels, serum PSA levels (mean +/- SE = 2.2 +/- 0.9 pg/mL) were not significantly raised. However, after 12 months of androgen therapy, the mean (+/- SE) PSA level in these five subjects was 47 +/- 11.6 pg/mL and was significantly higher than the mean level in nonandrogenized female transsexuals. The present study confirmed that high levels of testosterone were able to up-regulate PSA production in women. This up-regulation of PSA production is both a dose- and time-dependent process. Furthermore, the evidence indicates that breast tissues are possibly a nonprostatic source of androgen up-regulated production of PSA women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, National University Hospital, Kent Ridge, Singapore. obggohhh@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Goh
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013739:Testosterone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen