title: Reduction of serum prostate-specific antigen levels following varicella-zoster infection and valaciclovir treatment in prostate cancer.
abstract: We present two prostate cancer patients, including one with a castration-resistant cancer whose rising serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels showed a remarkable drop after a reactivated varicella-zoster virus infection treated with valaciclovir. In one patient, we found a temporary decrease in serum PSA lasting for at least 4 mo. In the patient with castration-resistant prostate cancer, serum PSA decreased to <0.01 microg/l and has remained undetectable since.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roy R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Jurhill
authors.forename: Haitze
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.forename: Geert J L H
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Leenders
authors.forename: Paul C M S
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Verhagen
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D000077483:Valacyclovir; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D014633:Valine; D000077483:Valacyclovir; D000212:Acyclovir