Blood and tissue steroid levels and their interrelationship in men with pathological conditions of the reproductive organs

We have investigated the interrelationship of the levels of 10 steroids in peripheral venous, spermatic arterial and spermatic venous blood, and in tissue specimens from the epididymis, vas deferens and testis from 8 patients who underwent orchidectomy for pathological conditions of the reproductive organs. The steroids analyzed by radioimmunoassay were: pregnenolone (5‐P), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 17‐hydroxyprogesterone (17‐OH‐P), androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the sulpho‐conjugated forms (‐S) of 5‐P, DHEA, T and DHT. The quantitatively major steroids in peripheral venous blood were, in order of magnitude, DHEA‐S, 5‐P‐S, DHT‐S, T‐S and T. No difference was observed between the levels of any of the steroids measured in peripheral venous and spermatic arterial blood. With the exception of DHEA‐S and DHT‐S, the levels of all steroids in spermatic venous blood were substantially higher than in peripheral venous blood (P < 0.001). No correlation was found between steroid levels in spermatic venous and peripheral venous blood. Steroid concentrations in tissue from the epididymis, vas deferens and testis were markedly higher than in peripheral venous blood (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001), except for the levels of DHEA‐S which were about equal in the various blood and tissue specimens. Tissue to blood ratios varied from approximately 2.0 to 500 according to the steroid in question. The peripheral blood levels of 5‐P‐S, DHEA‐S and DHT‐S were substantially higher than respective unconjugated steroid levels (P < 0.001); the ratios (sulphoconjugated to unconjugated) were approximately 17, 215 and 30, respectively. In contrast the respective ratios in the tissue specimens vaned from 0.3 to 5.0. These data indicate differences in the extent of tissue steroid accumulation and/or hnding. Furthermore, the varying relationship in different tissues between sulpho‐conjugated and unconjugated steroids suggests the existence of organ specific regulatory mechanisms for steroids in the human. The possibility that the various steroids, particularly the sulpho‐conjugated steroids studied, have specific tissue functions is discussed. It is suggested that the measurement of sulpho‐conjugated steroids may be useful for evaluation of certain disorders of the connective tissues.