Testosterone: Why Higher Levels are Connected to Prostrate Enlargement

 

A recent study at the University of California – Santa Barbara (UCSB) focused on testosterone levels in a cohort of men in the US and compared results to previous research on a group of 350 adult males in Tsimane,Bolivia where researchers examined the prevalence of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)(aka. prostrate enlargement). BPH is one of the most prevalent diseases among aging men in the US.  The causes and underlying factors that contribute to this disease have not yet been identified, thus the reason for this study.

It has been explained in recent publicationsthat men in Tsimane have 30% lower testosterone levels because of environmental (numerous parasites and pathogens) and lifestyle factors (hunting, fishing,foraging: causing the need to maintain testosterone in order to maintain muscle mass). Antropologists from UCSB believe that increased levels of testosterone compromises the immune system in order to keep it low in environments where parasites and pathogens are rampant. It was discovered that the cases of advanced prostrate enlargement were nonexistent.

Because men in the US have a higher level of testosterone and their levels decrease with age, there has been a trend to supplement this decline with replacement therapy. It is believed that interfering with Mother Nature may not be the best choice and we are left to wonder, is this what is causing the increase in prostrate cancer and other diseases?  Read More

image above from:https://www.ia.ucsb.edu/

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EagleBio’s Free Testosterone ELISA: Product Highlights


Eagle Biosciences’ Steroid Assay Kit line offers an array of interesting and sensitive assays for different hormone analytes and research needs. OurFree Testosterone ELISA is a top seller at Eagle Biosciences and continues to be a valuable tool for researchers in various fields of study. It offers a variety advantages over other kits in the market and it is recognized for its ability to measure the free or unbound fraction of serum testosterone with unsurpassed sensitivity and accuracy.

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Our Free Testosterone ELISA Kit is a 2nd generation assay and is more sensitive, accurate, and precise than the previous versions with less interference of matrix effects in samples. It provides an excellent correlation to free androgen index (total Testosterone/SHBG) and is an effective means to truly capture the unbound or free testosterone in each sample thereby estimating the physiologically bioactive hormone.

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EagleBio Spotlight: Free Testosterone

 

 

Testosterone
is a steroid hormone from the
androgen group and is predominantly secreted in the testes of males and the
ovaries of females however, there is a small amount of this hormone that is secreted
by the adrenal glands. Testosterone is
the primary male sex hormone as well as an anabolic steroid and it plays key
roles for the health and well-being of both males and females.

Only a small percentage of circulating testosterone
exists as unbound or free testosterone. In fact, testosterone circulates 98%
protein-bound (54% with low affinity to albumin and other proteins, and 44%
with high affinity to SHBG) with only 2% circulating as free testosterone. The
portion which is unbound, referred to as free testosterone, is considered the
component that has the ability to enter cells and in turn, has androgenic
effects. Thus, for these reasons it is proposed that free testosterone will
relate to the biological effect on tissue more than the total testosterone.

 

Reasons to
Measure Free Testosterone

It is important to measure Free Testosterone for detecting
and monitoring various conditions and diseases that affect both men and women.
Free testosterone is responsible for sexual traits and health problems can
result from elevated or decreased levels of this hormone. As mentioned above, the measurement of the
free or unbound fraction of serum testosterone provides a means of estimating
the physiologically bioactive hormone.

 

Free Testosterone has been associated
with many diseases and disorders/conditions

Males:

Primary and secondary hypogonadism- A failure of the gonads, testes in men and ovaries in
women, to function properly (i.e. primary– direct failure of gonad and secondary
indirect failure of gonad due to problem in the hypothalamus or the pituitary
gland)

Delayed or advanced puberty

Impotence

Loss of sex drive

Bone loss

Infertility

Cushing Syndrome

 

Females:

Hirsutism– excessive
hair

Virilization-
biological development of sex differences- changes that make the female body
different from a male body- masculization occurs) due to tumors

Polycystic ovaries –Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
a condition discerned by infertility, lack of menstruation, acne, and excessive
hair growth, particularly on the face

Androgenital syndromes

Cushing Syndrome

 

References:

1. Alan, Carolyn et. al. “Age-related changes in testosterone and the role of replacement therapy in older men.” Clinical Endocrinology. 2004; 60:6:653–670. 

2.Rosner W, Auchus RJ, Azziz R, et al. “Position statement: Utility, limitations, and pitfalls in measuring testosterone: an Endocrine Society Position Statement”. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92:405-413. 

3. Sodergard, R et al. “Calculation of free and bound fractions of testosterone and estradiol-17 beta to human plasma proteins at body temperature”. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry. 1982; 16, 801–810. 

 

Related Kits:

Steroid Assay Kits

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Testosterone Saliva ELISA Assay Kit

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Eagle Biosciences Shares New Literature Utilizing
Select Hormone Assays