[Bone tumors and androgen metabolism]

The paper provides data of comparative assessment of activity of the key enzymes in metabolism of androgens in various morphological variants of sarcomas and benign bone tumors in 46 patients within the age range from 15 to 61, which were under treatment in the ORC named after N. N. Blokhin, RAMS, from 1996 to 1997. On the basis on publications and our own research results we can suggest that malignant human bone tumors of various histogenesis are subject to metabolic processes of testosterone (T), the principal androgen regulator in the bone tissue, as well as formation in bones of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). One cannot exclude a possibility that metabolism of androgen in bone tissues is directed towards formation of other androgens (in addition to DHT), which may participate in the bone tissue regulation, for instance, 3 alpha- and 3 beta-diols; specific activity of the latter has recently been intensively scrutinized. One can expect that further research shall disclose the clinical significance of metabolism of androgens and of individual androgens in human bone formations.