Serum prostate-specific antigen in pancreatic disease.
BACKGROUND
Prostate-specific antigen has been considered a specific and sensitive marker of prostate cancer. In recent years, it has been reported that prostate-specific antigen may also be found in pancreatic tissue; however, very little evidence of serum levels of this protein in pancreatic disease has been forthcoming.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the possibility that pancreatic diseases may influence both total and free serum prostate-specific antigen.


METHODS
A total of 72 females were studied: 44 patients with acute pancreatitis: 6 with chronic pancreatitis: 12 with pancreatic carcinoma and 10 healthy volunteers. Total and free serum prostate-specific antigen were measured using commercial kits.


RESULTS
In patients with acute pancreatitis, total and free serum prostate-specific antigen were detectable in two out of the 44 patients (5%). In patients with chronic pancreatitis, total and free serum prostate-specific antigen were undetectable, whereas 4 out of the 12 patients (33%) with pancreatic carcinoma had detectable serum levels of total and free prostate-specific antigen.


CONCLUSIONS
Female patients with acute pancreatitis and especially those with pancreatic cancer may have detectable serum levels of total and free prostate-specific antigen. Further studies are necessary to understand why these molecules are elevated in patients with pancreatic diseases, thus affecting the specificity of prostate-specific antigen determination as a prostate tumour marker.
Pezzilli
R
R
Emergency Department, University of Bologna, Italy. pezzilli@orsola-malpighi.med.unibo.it
Bertaccini
A
A
Billi
P
P
Zanarini
L
L
Miglio
F
F
Martorana
G
G
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen