Evaluation of age-specific normal ranges for prostate-specific antigen.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the traditional normal range (TNR) of 0.0 to 4.0 ng/mL for serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to age-specific normal ranges (ASNRs).


METHODS
An autopsy series of completely sectioned, clinically benign prostates from 171 consecutive Caucasian men over the age of 40 years was selected. These patients were divided into those having no prostate cancer at autopsy, prostate cancer less than 1 cc in volume, and prostate cancer at least 1 cc in volume. The PSA values of each group were compared using both the TNR and the ASNR.


RESULTS
Twenty-three of 105 (21.9%) patients with no cancer had elevated PSA values by the TNR, whereas only 18 (17.1%) were elevated using the ASNR. Nine of 54 (16.7%) with cancer less than 1 cc were elevated using the TNR, and 7 of 54 (13.0%) using the ASNR. Of 12 patients with cancer at least 1 cc, all had elevated PSA levels using the TNR and 11 (91.7%) were elevated using the ASNR. All discrepancies between the TNR and ASNR occurred in the 60- to 79-year age range.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of ASNRs appears helpful in increasing the specificity of PSA by eliminating some elevated values in patients in their 60s and 70s.
Speights
V O
VO
Department of Pathology, Scott & White Clinic and Memorial Hospital.
Brawn
P N
PN
Foster
D M
DM
Spiekerman
A M
AM
Kuhl
D
D
Riggs
M W
MW
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen