Urology
Volume 72, Issue 5 , Pages 1121-1124 , November 2008

Serum Inhibin—Not a Cause of Low Testosterone Levels in Hypogonadal Prostate Cancer?

  • Jakob E. Lackner

      Affiliations

    • Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Jakob E. Lackner, M.D., F.E.B.U., Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerguertel 18-20, Vienna 1090 Austria
    • ,
  • Isabel Maerk

      Affiliations

    • Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Anke Koller

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Christian Bieglmayer

      Affiliations

    • Clinical Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Michael Marberger

      Affiliations

    • Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Christian Kratzik

      Affiliations

    • Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Georg Schatzl

      Affiliations

    • Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Received 2 December 2007 ,Accepted 31 January 2008.

References 

  1. Schatzl G, Madersbacher S, Thurridl T, et al. High-grade prostate cancer is associated with low serum testosterone levels. Prostate. 2001;47:52–58
  2. Miller LR, Partin AW, Chan DW, et al. Influence of radical prostatectomy on serum hormone levels. J Urol. 1998;160:449–453
  3. Morgentaler A. Testosterone deficiency and prostate cancer: emerging recognition of an important and troubling relationship. Eur Urol. 2007;52:623–625
  4. Kumanov P, Nandipati KC, Tomova A, et al. Significance of inhibin in reproductive pathophysiology and current clinical applications. Reprod Biomed Online. 2005;10:786–812
  5. de Kretser DM, Hedger MP, Loveland KL, et al. Inhibin, activins and follistatin in reproduction. Hum Reprod Update. 2002;8:529–541
  6. Risbridger GP, Schmitt JF, Robertson DM. Activin and inhibins in endocrine and other tumors. Endocr Rev. 2001;22:836–858
  7. Risbridger GP. Recent progress in our understanding of inhibin in the prostate gland. J Endocrinol. 1998;157:1–4
  8. Robertson DM, McNeilage J. Inhibins as biomarkers for reproductive cancers. Semin Reprod Med. 2004;22:219–225
  9. Mellor SL, Richards MG, Pedersen JS, et al. Loss of the expression and localization of inhibin alpha subunit in high grade prostate cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998;83:969–975
  10. Matzuk MM, Finegold MJ, Su JG, et al. Alpha-inhibin is a tumour-suppressor gene with gonadal specificity in mice. Nature. 1992;360:313–319
  11. Dowling CR, Risbridger GP. The role of inhibins and activins in prostate cancer pathogenesis. Endocrin Relat Cancer. 2000;7:243–256
  12. Thomas TZ, Wang H, Niclasen P, et al. Expression and localization of activin subunits and follistatins in tissues from men with high grade prostate cancer. J Clin Endocinol Metab. 1997;82:3851–3858
  13. Risbridger GP, Ball EM, Wang H, et al. Re-evaluation of inhibin alpha subunit as tumor suppressor in prostate cancer. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2004;225:73–76
  14. Sharifi N, Lechleider RJ, Farrar WL. Transforming growth factor-β receptor III downregulation in prostate cancer: is inhibit B a tumor suppressor in prostate?. J Mol Endocrinol. 2007;39:329–332
  15. Lackner JE, Märk I, Schatzl G, et al. Hypogonadism and androgen deficiency symptoms in testicular cancer survivors. Urology. 2007;69:754–758
  16. McCullagh DR. Dual endocrine activity of the testis. Science. 1932;76:19–20
  17. Illingworth PJ, Groome NP, Byrd W, et al. Inhibin-B: a likely candidate for the physiologically important form of inhibin in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81:1321–1325
  18. Gray A, Feldman HA, McKinlay JB, et al. Age, disease, and changing sex hormone levels in middle-aged men: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991;73:1016–1025
  19. Yamamoto S, Yonese J, Kawakami S, et al. Preoperative serum testosterone level as an independent predictor of the treatment failure following radical prostatectomy. Eur Urol. 2007;52:696–701
  20. Madersbacher S, Schatzl G, Bieglmayer C, et al. Impact of radical prostatectomy and TURP on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone axis. Urology. 2002;60:869–874

PII: S0090-4295(08)00184-2

doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2008.01.066

Urology
Volume 72, Issue 5 , Pages 1121-1124 , November 2008

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