["Side effects of mitotane (o,p'-DDD) have suggested estrogenic effects.", "The objective of the study was to explore o,p'-DDD potential estrogenic effect on SHBG and corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG).", 'Human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2), lacking estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha, and Hep89, stably transfected by ERalpha, were used.', 'The study was conducted at an academic research laboratory and medical center.', 'The study included 10 male patients with recurrent adrenal carcinoma, receiving mitotane (4-6.5 g daily) for more than 6 months.', 'The main outcome measures were SHBG/CBG mRNA levels measured by real-time PCR, culture medium SHBG/CBG concentrations measured by specific immunoassays, and transient transfection experiments with human SHBG proximal promoter reporter constructs.', "Increased serum SHBG and CBG concentrations, which exceeded normal male limits, were observed in most mitotane-treated patients. In the HepG2 cell line, 17beta-estradiol (E2) or o,p'-DDD treatment had no effect on mRNA or SHBG/CBG concentrations. In contrast, in the Hep89 cell line, E2 increased concentrations of SHBG (r = 0.44, P < 0.0001) and CBG (r = 0.585, P < 0.0001) secreted into culture media in a dose-dependent manner. o,p'-DDD significantly increased SHBG (150% vs. control, P < 0.05) and CBG (184% vs. control, P < 0.05) production by Hep89 cells, at a concentration of 2 x 10(-5) m. Transient transfection experiments in Hep89 cells showed that E2 or o,p'-DDD treatment did not increase the transcriptional activity of the minimal proximal promoter of human SHBG gene."] Does mitotane have an estrogenic effect on sex hormone-binding globulin and corticosteroid-binding globulin in humans?