Abstract: Objective To investigate the expressions of androgen receptor (AR) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with high PSA value and prostatic cancer(PCa) tissues and its clinical significance. MethodsAR expressions were determined in 32 human prostatic hyperplasia tissue specimens(PSA≥10ng／mL group)(the high PSA group) and 40 prostatic cancer tissues by immunohistochemical and RTPCR methods. 32 human prostatic hyperplasia tissue specimens(PSA<10ng／mL group)(the low PSA group) served as the control group. Results The positive staining rates of AR in the high PSA group, the low PSA group and the PCa group were respectively 93.75％, 84.38％ and 65.00％(P<0.05). Positive expressions of AR were much higher in epithelial and mysenchymal tissues of the high PSA group than in the low PSA group and the PCa group(P<0.05). The AR expression was significantly higher in well (66.67％) or moderately (55.56％) differentiated adenocarcinoma than that in poorly differentiated tumors (30.00％)(P<0.05), and it was higher in tumors at early stages (68.75％) than in tumors at advanced stages (41.67％)(P<0.05). AR mRNA expression was also determined by RTPCR, and it was much higher in epithelial and mysenchymal tissues of the high PSA group than in prostatic tissues of the low PSA group (P<0.05). Also it was significantly higher in well or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma than in poorly differentiated tumors (P<0.05) and higher in tumors at early stages than in tumors at advanced stage (P<0.05). ConclusionsAR is high in the high BPH with PSA group, indicating AR plays an important role in the regulation of PSA of prostatic tissues and therefore AR might be a causative factor in high PSA value. The expression of AR is related to tumor grades or stages.

Key words: Prostatic hyperplasia, Prostatic neoplasms, Androgen receptor, Prostatespecific antigen