Steroid receptors in metastatic carcinoma of the human prostate

Using a dextran-coated charcoal technique and isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel, metastases from five patients with prostatic carcinoma were analysed for contents of cytosolic androgen, progestin, estrogen and glucocorticoid receptors. Maximum binding capacity (B_max) and dissociation constant (K_d) were calculated from Scatchard plots. In three cases the patients had received endocrine therapy prior to removal of the specimen. Androgen and progestin receptors were measurable in 4 5 and 2 5 cases, respectively; no specimen contained estrogen receptors. In 3 5 cases large amounts of glucocorticoid receptors were detected.