[Variability of values of prostate-specific antigen determined with 6 methods].
OBJECTIVE
To illustrate the variability of serum Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and its causes in relevant clinical patient populations.


METHODS
University Hospital Rotterdam, the Netherlands.


METHODS
Descriptive.


METHODS
Six different methods of PSA analysis were applied to sera of 19 participants of a screening population, 20 patients after radical prostatectomy, and 15 newly diagnosed patients with a prostate carcinoma. The Hybritech Tandem-R value was chosen as the standard to compare the methods of analysis. Around a standard of 4.0 micrograms/l a range of 3.3 to 7.2 micrograms/l was found; around 10.0 micrograms/l a range of 8.7 to 18.5 micrograms/l. After radical prostatectomy the different methods of analysis agreed completely in only 5 out of 15 patients with respect to serum PSA.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of a considerable variability in serum PSA values between different laboratories and methods of analysis, and of overlap between benign and malignant prostatic diseases, reference values of PSA should be handled with great care.
Bangma
C H
CH
Afd. Urologie, Academisch Ziekenhuis Rotterdam-Dijkzigt.
Blijenberg
B G
BG
Schröder
F H
FH
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D012016:Reference Values
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen