title: Incidence of high chromogranin A serum levels in patients with non metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ChromograninA in prostate carcinoma (PC) indicate NE differentiation. This tumour is more aggressive and resistant to hormone therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the incidence of pre-operative ChromograninA serum levels in non metastatic PC patients. Serum PSA and ChromograninA were analyzed before treatment. Clinicopathological parameters were evaluated in relation to serum ChromograninA. 486 patients were enrolled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 352 pT2 and 134 pT3. 21 patients were N+. 278 patients had Gleason score levels <7; 173 patients had levels = 7 (122 were 3+4 and 51 4+3); and 35 patients with levels >7. Median PSA pre-operative level was 7.61 ng/ml. PSA was significantly associated with pT stage (pT2 with PSA abnormal 23.6% vs pT3 48.5%, p < 0.0001) and with a Gleason score (PSA abnormal 60% in the Gleason score was >7 vs 29.5% in the Gleason score = 7 vs 27.3% in the Gleason score <7, p < 0.0001). In 114 patients pre-operative ChromograninA levels were elevated (23.5%). Serum ChromograninA levels had no significant association with PSA (p = 0.44) and pT stage (p = 0.89). abnormal ChromograninA levels increased from a Gleason score of <7 (25.5%) to >7 (31.4%) (p = 0.12). The serum ChromograninA levels in the two groups of patients were subdivided before and after 2005 on the basis of different used assays, showing no correlation with serum ChromograninA and other parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that ChromograninA levels correlated to NE differentiation and possible aggressiveness of PC. Pre-operative circulating ChromograninA could complement PSA in selecting more aggressive PC cases, particularly in the presence of a higher Gleason score. Complementary information is provided by the absence of a correlation between serum ChromograninA and PSA levels.
authors.affiliation: Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. appetecchia@ifo.it
authors.forename: Marialuisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Appetecchia
authors.forename: Aurela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meçule
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasimeni
authors.forename: Concetta V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Iannucci
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Carli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baldelli
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barnabei
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cigliana
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sperduti
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallucci
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen