{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T11:03:40Z","timestamp":1784286220589,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Bioscientifica","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782950400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":21,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.bioscientifica.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Prostate cancer (PCa) is a hormone-dependent malignancy governed by steroid signaling. Despite characterization of androgen pathways, the broader intraprostatic steroid environment remains underexplored. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may modulate these processes, yet their tissue distribution is largely unknown. We aimed to comprehensively profile intraprostatic steroids and EDCs and assess their associations with tumor aggressiveness, prognosis, and risk stratification. Thirty steroids and 16 EDCs were quantified using liquid chromatography\u2013tandem mass spectrometry in cancerous tissue, non-cancerous tissues (from peripheral and transition zones), and plasma from 173 patients with localized PCa undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Analysis of variance was used to compare analyte levels across biological matrices and according to disease aggressiveness, multivariate statistical models evaluated associations with patient prognosis and risk categories, and machine learning (ML) models were applied for risk stratification. Steroid profiles differed markedly between plasma and prostate tissue, whereas EDCs accumulated in the prostate and were generally not associated with plasma concentrations. Cancerous tissue showed lower conjugated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and higher pregnenolone, corticoids, and testosterone compared to non-cancerous tissue. Elevated intratumoral cortisol, cortisone, androstenedione, conjugated testosterone, 7-ketoDHEA, and estrone were associated with greater tumor aggressiveness. Higher intratumoral parabens correlated with increased postoperative PSA, while conjugated dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and phytoestrogen daidzein were inversely associated with PSA levels. Higher EDC burden and intratumoral steroid levels were associated with higher risk categories. In contrast, DHT showed a consistent protective profile, being negatively associated with both prognosis and risk classification. Integrating steroids and EDCs improved ML-based risk classification beyond preoperative clinical variables.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1530\/erc-26-0153","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T13:22:28Z","timestamp":1781184148000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1530\/crossmarkpolicy-8","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Intraprostatic steroid hormones and endocrine disruptors in prostate cancer"],"prefix":"10.1530","volume":"33","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0805-7602","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jana","family":"Vitku","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tereza","family":"Skodova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anezka","family":"Varausova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lukas","family":"Gadus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University 2 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]},{"name":"Department of Urology, Military University Hospital 3 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michal","family":"Horenitzky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University 2 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]},{"name":"Department of Urology, Military University Hospital 3 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marie","family":"Novakova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Military University Hospital 4 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martin","family":"Hill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michaela","family":"Svojtkova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucie","family":"Kolatorova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adela","family":"Lukaskova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology 1 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiri","family":"Heracek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University 2 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]},{"name":"Department of Urology, Military University Hospital 3 , ,","place":["Prague, Czech Republic"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"416","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1016\/j.steroids.2007.10.013","article-title":"The role of estrogens and estrogen receptors in normal prostate growth and disease","volume":"73","author":"Prins","year":"2008","journal-title":"Steroids"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib2","first-page":"62","article-title":"Androgen action in prostate function and disease","volume":"6","author":"Banerjee","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am J Clin Exp Urol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R179","DOI":"10.1530\/ERC-17-0493","article-title":"Sex steroids in the tumor microenvironment and prostate cancer progression","volume":"25","author":"Boibessot","year":"2018","journal-title":"Endocr Relat Cancer"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1016\/j.steroids.2007.01.004","article-title":"Tissue and serum levels of principal androgens in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer","volume":"72","author":"Heracek","year":"2007","journal-title":"Steroids"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1677\/joe.0.0880255","article-title":"Relationships between oestradiol-17 beta, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 27 beta-diol in human benign hypertrophy and carcinoma of the prostate","volume":"88","author":"Ghanadian","year":"1981","journal-title":"J Endocrinol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1082","DOI":"10.1002\/pros.23365","article-title":"Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels in the transition zone correlate with prostate volume","volume":"77","author":"Pej\u010di\u0107","year":"2017","journal-title":"Prostate"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"466","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22010466","article-title":"Determination of intraprostatic and intratesticular androgens","volume":"22","author":"\u0160imkov\u00e1","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"272","DOI":"10.1002\/pros.23732","article-title":"Sex steroids in serum and prostatic tissue of human cancerous prostate (STERKPROSER trial)","volume":"79","author":"Meunier","year":"2019","journal-title":"Prostate"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1677\/ERC-08-0043","article-title":"Endocrine disruptors and prostate cancer risk","volume":"15","author":"Prins","year":"2008","journal-title":"Endocr Relat Cancer"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E1","DOI":"10.1210\/er.2015-1010","article-title":"EDC-2: the endocrine society\u2019s second scientific statement on endocrine-disrupting chemicals","volume":"36","author":"Gore","year":"2015","journal-title":"Endocr Rev"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"609","DOI":"10.1038\/s41585-025-01031-9","article-title":"Endocrine-disrupting chemicals as prostate carcinogens","volume":"22","author":"Feij\u00f3","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat Rev Urol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mce.2017.02.045","article-title":"Recent advances on bisphenol-A and endocrine disruptor effects on human prostate cancer","volume":"457","author":"Di Donato","year":"2017","journal-title":"Mol Cell Endocrinol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2022.113142","article-title":"Impact of chronic exposure of rats to bisphenol A from perinatal period to adulthood on intraprostatic levels of 5\u03b1-reductase isozymes, aromatase, and genes implicated in prostate cancer development","volume":"212","author":"S\u00e1nchez","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0090332","article-title":"Exposure to bisphenol A correlates with early-onset prostate cancer and promotes centrosome amplification and anchorage-independent growth in vitro","volume":"9","author":"Tarapore","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S411","DOI":"10.33549\/physiolres.935246","article-title":"Endocrine disruptors and estrogens in human prostatic tissue","volume":"72","author":"Vitku","year":"2023","journal-title":"Physiol Res"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123294","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jchromb.2022.123294","article-title":"An LC-MS\/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of 32 steroids in human plasma","volume":"1201","author":"Simkova","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2023.115083","article-title":"Derivatized versus non-derivatized LC-MS\/MS techniques for the analysis of estrogens and estrogen-like endocrine disruptors in human plasma","volume":"260","author":"Vitku","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ecotoxicol Environ Saf"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1080\/1047322X.1990.10389587","article-title":"Estimation of average concentration in the presence of nondetectable values","volume":"5","author":"Hornung","year":"1990","journal-title":"Appl Occup Environ Hyg"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1002\/jat.958","article-title":"Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours","volume":"24","author":"Darbre","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Appl Toxicol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1002\/jat.1786","article-title":"Measurement of paraben concentrations in human breast tissue at serial locations across the breast from axilla to sternum","volume":"32","author":"Barr","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Appl Toxicol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib21","first-page":"893","article-title":"Paraben content in adjacent normal-malignant breast tissues from women with breast cancer","volume":"32","author":"Amin","year":"2019","journal-title":"Biomed Environ Sci"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2019.105118","article-title":"Adipose tissue concentrations of non-persistent environmental phenols and local redox balance in adults from Southern Spain","volume":"133","author":"Artacho-Cord\u00f3n","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2015.12.034","article-title":"Determination of parabens and benzophenone-type UV filters in human placenta. First description of the existence of benzyl paraben and benzophenone-4","volume":"88","author":"Valle-Sistac","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s12403-020-00358-5","article-title":"Placenta is capable of protecting the Male fetus from exposure to environmental bisphenol A","volume":"13","author":"Lukasiewicz","year":"2021","journal-title":"Expo Health"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmet.2019.11.010","article-title":"Greasing the wheels of the cancer machine: the role of lipid metabolism in cancer","volume":"31","author":"Snaebjornsson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cell Metab"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addr.2020.07.013","article-title":"Lipids and cancer: emerging roles in pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutic intervention","volume":"159","author":"Butler","year":"2020","journal-title":"Adv Drug Deliv Rev"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"475","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.8b04670","article-title":"Tissue-specific accumulation and body burden of Parabens and their metabolites in small cetaceans","volume":"53","author":"Jeong","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2017.03.030","article-title":"Assumed non-persistent environmental chemicals in human adipose tissue; matrix stability and correlation with levels measured in urine and serum","volume":"156","author":"Artacho-Cord\u00f3n","year":"2017","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"552","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jes.2024.09.008","article-title":"Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in human adipose tissue and associations between exposure and obesity","volume":"155","author":"Lu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Environ Sci"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1016\/j.reprotox.2007.06.007","article-title":"Bisphenol-A and chlorinated derivatives in adipose tissue of women","volume":"24","author":"Fernandez","year":"2007","journal-title":"Reprod Toxicol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"796","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2012.01.002","article-title":"Distribution of bisphenol-A, triclosan and n-nonylphenol in human adipose tissue, liver and brain","volume":"87","author":"Geens","year":"2012","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"A703","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.021100703","article-title":"Parent bisphenol A accumulation in the human maternal-fetal-placental unit","volume":"110","author":"Sch\u00f6nfelder","year":"2002","journal-title":"Environ Health Perspect"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"917","DOI":"10.1016\/S0045-6535(00)00196-X","article-title":"Effects of bisphenol A on energy balance and accumulation in brown adipose tissue in rats","volume":"42","author":"Nunez","year":"2001","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1186\/s12940-016-0131-2","article-title":"Direct measurement of Bisphenol A (BPA), BPA glucuronide and BPA sulfate in a diverse and low-income population of pregnant women reveals high exposure, with potential implications for previous exposure estimates: a cross-sectional study","volume":"15","author":"Gerona","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ Health"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1843","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.9413","article-title":"Parabens as urinary biomarkers of exposure in humans","volume":"114","author":"Ye","year":"2006","journal-title":"Environ Health Perspect"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1387","DOI":"10.1016\/j.juro.2006.06.066","article-title":"Association between the dihydrotestosterone level in the prostate and prostate cancer aggressiveness using the gleason score","volume":"176","author":"Nishiyama","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Urol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2047-2927.2013.00068.x","article-title":"Impact of pre-treatment prostate tissue androgen content on the prediction of castration-resistant prostate cancer development in patients treated with primary androgen deprivation therapy","volume":"1","author":"Shibata","year":"2013","journal-title":"Andrology"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1038\/s41391-025-01046-8","article-title":"High level expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is linked to aggressive tumor features, early biochemical recurrence, and genetic instability in prostate cancer","volume":"29","author":"Heckmann","year":"2026","journal-title":"Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prp.2023.154873","article-title":"Intratumoral cortisol associated with aromatase in the endometrial cancer microenvironment","volume":"251","author":"Miki","year":"2023","journal-title":"Pathol Res Pract"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1038\/nri.2017.1","article-title":"Immune regulation by glucocorticoids","volume":"17","author":"Cain","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat Rev Immunol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1038\/s41574-025-01102-2","article-title":"Steroid hormones as modulators of anti-tumoural immunity","volume":"21","author":"Schwarzlmueller","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat Rev Endocrinol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"717","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2407-14-717","article-title":"High testosterone levels in prostate tissue obtained by needle biopsy correlate with poor-prognosis factors in prostate cancer patients","volume":"14","author":"Miyoshi","year":"2014","journal-title":"BMC Cancer"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1038\/s41585-025-01112-9","article-title":"SRD5A2 and emerging therapies in androgen-driven disorders","volume":"23","author":"Wang","year":"2026","journal-title":"Nat Rev Urol"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1015","DOI":"10.1210\/en.2016-1926","article-title":"Inverse regulation of DHT synthesis enzymes 5\u03b1-Reductase types 1 and 2 by the androgen receptor in prostate cancer","volume":"158","author":"Audet-Walsh","year":"2017","journal-title":"Endocrinology"},{"key":"2026071706065815000_bib45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"419","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-4731(79)90329-7","article-title":"Antagonist action of dihydroprogesterone on the formation of the specific dihydrotestosterone-cytoplasmic receptor complex in rat ventral prostate","volume":"10","author":"Wright","year":"1979","journal-title":"J Steroid Biochem"}],"container-title":["Endocrine-Related Cancer"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/erc.bioscientifica.com\/view\/journals\/erc\/aop\/ERC-26-0153\/ERC-26-0153.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/erc.bioscientifica.com\/downloadpdf\/journals\/erc\/aop\/ERC-26-0153\/ERC-26-0153.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/erc\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1530\/ERC-26-0153\/519688\/erc-26-0153.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/erc\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1530\/ERC-26-0153\/519688\/erc-26-0153.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T10:07:08Z","timestamp":1784282828000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/erc\/article\/33\/7\/e260153\/77515\/Intraprostatic-steroid-hormones-and-endocrine"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1530\/erc-26-0153","relation":{},"ISSN":["1351-0088","1479-6821"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1351-0088","type":"print"},{"value":"1479-6821","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"article-number":"e260153"}}