title: Association between periodontal disease and prostate-specific antigen levels in chronic prostatitis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is an inflammatory marker produced by the epithelial cells of the prostate acini. In the presence of inflammation or malignancy of the prostate, PSA levels are > or = 4 ng/ml. This preliminary study was conducted to evaluate any association between periodontitis and PSA levels in chronic prostatitis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five subjects who underwent prostate biopsy because of abnormal findings on digital rectal examination or elevated PSA (> or = 4 ng/ml) participated in the study. Plaque and gingival indices, bleeding on probing, probing depth, and clinical attachment level (CAL) were determined. Two-sided independent sample t tests assessed any significant differences in the PSA levels between and among the groups of prostatitis and periodontitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean PSA levels were significantly higher (P = 0.04) in subjects with moderate/severe prostate inflammation than those with none/mild (8.8 +/- 5.8 versus 5.7 +/- 3.1 ng/ml). Subjects with CAL > or = 2.7 mm had higher but not statistically significant PSA levels than those with CAL <2.7 mm (7.7 +/- 5.2 versus 5.7 +/- 3.2 ng/ml), respectively. Individuals having both moderate/severe prostatitis and CAL > or = 2.7 mm (10.8 +/- 7 ng/ml) had significantly higher mean PSA levels (P = 0.05) than those with neither condition (5.6 +/- 3.7 ng/ml) nor only CAL > or = 2.7 mm (5.7 +/- 2.4 ng/ml) or moderate/severe prostatitis (6 +/- 1.9 ng/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects having comorbidity of CAL > or = 2.7 mm and moderate/severe prostatitis have higher PSA levels than those with either condition alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4905, USA.
authors.forename: Nishant
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Nabil F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Bissada
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bodner
authors.forename: Gregory T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Maclennan
authors.forename: Sena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Narendran
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jurevic
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Skillicorn
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen