Background: Contrary to the hypothesis that the racial/ethnic disparity in prostate cancer (PCa) has a hormonal basis, we did not observe a statistically significant difference in serum testosterone concentration between non‐Hispanic black (NHB) and non‐Hispanic white (NHW) adult men in the nationally‐representative Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), although NHB men had a higher estradiol level. Unexpectedly Mexican‐American men (MA) had the highest testosterone level. In this study, we evaluated racial/ethnic differences in hormone concentrations during puberty, the time of prostate maturation.

Methods: We measured serum testosterone, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations by immunoassay for 161 adolescent males aged 12–19 who participated in the morning examination of Phase I of NHANES III. Free testosterone and free estradiol were estimated. Geometric mean concentrations were compared by race/ethnicity using linear regression adjusting for age, Tanner (puberty) stage, percent body fat (%BF), waist circumference (WC), physical activity, smoking, and the other hormones.

Results: In 12–15 year olds, MA males had the highest total and free testosterone concentration (MA vs NHB: P<0.05). In 16–19 year olds, the pattern for total testosterone was similar to that for younger adolescents, whereas free testosterone did not differ by race/ethnicity. In 12–15 year olds, MAs had the lowest total (MA vs NHW: P<0.05) and free estradiol. In 16–19 year olds, NHBs had the highest and MAs the lowest total and free estradiol levels (NHB vs MA: P<0.05).

Conclusion: MA male adolescents had the highest testosterone and older NHB male adolescents had the highest estradiol levels, patterns similar to adult males in NHANES III.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A133.

for The Hormone Demonstration Program

Copyright © January 7, 2010, American Association for Cancer Research
2010