title: [Total prostatic specific antigen levels among subjects exposed and not exposed to arsenic in drinking water].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an association between arsenic exposure and prostatic cancer mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze and to compare the serum levels of total prostatic specific antigEn (TPSA) in asymptomatic men of a rural zone, exposed and not exposed to high concentrations of arsenic (As) in drinking water.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 161 men that were subjected to a clinical evaluation, serum TPSA determination and a trans rectal ultrasonography. Exposed and non-exposed subjects were divided in groups GA, GB and GC according to TPSA levels (<4 ng/ml, 4.1-10 ng/ml and >10.1 ng/ml respectively).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposed and non-exposed subjects had similar TPSA levels. Among exposed subjects, 88.2, 8,8 and 3% were ascribed to groups GA, GB and GC respectively. The figures for non-exposed subjects were 90. 6, 6,3 and 3,1%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for TPSA in exposed and non-exposed subjects was 0.64 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.40-0.9) and 0.71 (95% CI 0.6-0.8) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No differences in TPSA levels between subjects exposed and non-exposed to arsenic were observed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Patología Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina. draanaliasoria@arnet.com.ar
authors.forename: Analía
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soria de González
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tefaha
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guber
authors.forename: Nilda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Mateo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czejack
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D060766:Drinking Water; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen