Steroid receptor profile in human prostate cancer metastases as compared with primary prostatic carcinoma

The steroid receptor profile in seven prostate cancer metastases was compared with the profile in seven primary prostate cancers. The secondaries were all lymph node metastases, obtained during pelvic lymphadenectomy, preceding radical prostatectomy or irradiation. Cytosol androgen receptor content was higher in metastases, whereas the nuclear androgen receptor content was only one-fourth that in primary cancer. Cytosol progesterone as well as estrogen receptor contents were markedly lower in metastases compared with primary cancer. The steroid receptor profile differed very little between primary cancer and normal tissue. Primary prostatic carcinoma is usually obtained at early stages of the disease, whereas metastases represent a dedifferentiated, more aggressive cell population. This may explain the low amounts of progesterone, estrogen, and nuclear androgen receptor levels. The total androgen receptor content was similar in metastatic and primary disease, however, with a shift towards a cytosolic predominance in metastases. Possibly androgen receptors in metastatic disease are "deactivated."