title: A guide to the interpretation of serum prostate specific antigen levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the factors that affect the concentration of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the serum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The discussion includes the structure of PSA; its distribution and metabolism; various analytical aspects of PSA measurements; the effects of clinical manipulations on PSA, including digital rectal examination, transrectal ultrasound, cystoscopy, biopsy and transurethral resection of the prostate; factors affecting PSA levels in health, in benign disease, and in prostate cancer; the effect of various treatments on PSA; and the issue of reference ranges.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laboratory staff and physicians must take many factors into consideration when interpreting PSA results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bunting
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D011469:Prostatic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen