title: Total and free serum prostate specific antigen levels during the first month of acute prostatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The level of total prostate specific antigen (PSA) rises in acute prostatitis. The PSA fraction responsible for this increase and the evolution of the free/total PSA ratio are little known at the present time. We therefore carried out a prospective study of the evolution of total and free PSA levels and the free-to-total PSA ratio for one month after diagnosis of acute prostatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1999 and February 2001, 31 consecutive patients (mean age 51 years) were treated for acute prostatitis. No patient had a history of prostate cancer or of recent prostatitis. Measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), total PSA and free PSA was done at days 0, 3, 10 and 30.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the first month of acute prostatitis and under an adapted antibiotherapy, CRP progressively decreased and returned to normal levels at about day 10. Total PSA level increased up to day 3 and then gradually decreased until at least the end of the first month. The level of free PSA decreased up to day 10 and was still low at one month, leading to a decrease in the free-to-total PSA ratio which was reached its lowest level at day 10 and was still low at one month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased level of total PSA in acute prostatitis is secondary to the proportional increase in bound serum PSA and decrease in free PSA. Free PSA was still low at one month, maintaining a low free-to-total PSA ratio.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Urologie, Andrologie et de Transplantation Rénale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Rangueil, 1 avenue Jean Poulhes, 31403 Toulouse Cedex 04, France. xaviergame@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gamé
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vincendeau
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palascak
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milcent
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Houlgatte
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen