Serum and urinary prostate-specific antigen and urinary human glandular kallikrein concentrations are significantly increased after testosterone administration in female-to-male transsexuals.
BACKGROUND
The genes that encode prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein (hK2) are up-regulated by androgens and progestins in cultured cells, but no published studies have described the effect of androgen administration in women on serum and urinary PSA or hK2.


METHODS
We measured serum and urinary PSA and hK2 before, and 4 and 12 months post testosterone treatment by immunofluorometric methods in 32 female-to-male transsexuals.


RESULTS
Mean serum PSA increased from 1.1 ng/L to 11.1 ng/L and then to 22 ng/L by 4 and 12 months post treatment, respectively; the corresponding mean values in urine were 17, 1420, and 18 130 ng/L, respectively. Serum hK2, another kallikrein closely related to PSA, remained undetectable at the three time points. However, urinary hK2 concentration rose from below the detection limit (<6 ng/L) before treatment to 18 and 179 ng/L by the 4th and the 12th month of treatment, respectively. All changes were statistically significant (P <0.001) at 4 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Testosterone administration increases serum and urinary PSA and urinary hK2 in women. These measurements may be useful as indicators of androgenic stimulation in women.
Obiezu
C V
CV
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Giltay
E J
EJ
Magklara
A
A
Scorilas
A
A
Gooren
L J
LJ
Yu
H
H
Howarth
D J
DJ
Diamandis
E P
EP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020840:Tissue Kallikreins / Q000652:urine*; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000652:urine*
D015415:Biomarkers; D013739:Testosterone; D020840:Tissue Kallikreins; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen