OBJECTIVETo 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.

METHODSThe 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.

RESULTSReal-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.

CONCLUSIONThe 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.