title: Profile of endocrinological derangements affecting PSA values in patients with COPD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic obstractive pulmonary disease (COPD) in men has been associated with testosterone deficiency, known as the late-onset hypogonadism. Prostate cancer becomes more prevalent when testosterone values decline in males. We sought to determine endocrinological derangements that may affect PSA values in male patients with COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 69 male patients with COPD and 82 healthy volunteers were divided into subgroups according to: their age: (i) ≤60 years and (ii) >60 years; or disease severity: (i) FEV1<50% and (ii) FEV1≥50% predicted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant reduction in total and free testosterone in patients with COPD. Patients with COPD aged >60 years had significantly lower free PSA compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alterations of the male hormonal status in COPD are related with older age (>60 years) and poorer lung function (FEV1<50% predicted). This may have implications for the use of the PSA-based screening tests in the elderly male population with COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Micras Asias, Goudi, Athens 115 27, Greece.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakou
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glynos
authors.forename: Katerina D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Samara
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Msaouel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koutsilieris
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vassilakopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D013739:Testosterone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen
keywords: COPD; PSA; hypogonadism