title: [Expressions of the androgen receptor in normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expressions of the androgen receptor (AR) in the normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer (PCa), and investigate the relationship of AR with prostatic hyperplasia and PCa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of AR were detected in 15 normal prostate, 20 benign prostatic hyperplasia and 40 PCa samples by immunofluorescent staining, real-time PCR and Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Real-time PCR and Western blotting revealed no statistically significant differences in the expressions of AR between the normal prostate and prostatic hyperplasia groups (P < 0.05), while immunofluorescent staining exhibited an increase of the expression in the BPH tissues. All the three methods showed that the AR expression was significantly higher in the PCa than in the normal prostate and prostatic hyperplasia groups (P < 0.05), in the well differentiated than in the poorly differentiated tumor, and in the early than in the advanced stage (P < 0.05), but the lowest in the hormone-refractory PCa (HRPC) tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of AR is higher in PCa than in normal prostate and prostatic hyperplasia tissues, and is correlated with the pathological grade and clinical stage of PCa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, PLA, Shanghai 200433, China. doctorzengrui@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying-Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Chuan-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen