Prostatitis and prostate-specific antigen

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the possible effects of prostatitis on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration. Materials and Methods: PSA levels were measured in 54 selected patients with prostatic infection and no incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic cancer. Results: PSA levels were found to increase (over 4 ng/ml) in 4 of 5 (80%) patients with acute prostatitis, in 4 of 19 (21%) patients with chronic-bacterial prostatitis and in 3 of 20 (%15) patients with abacterial prostatitis. PSA levels returned to normal by antibiotherapy in 8 patients with acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis and 3 patients with chlamydia infection. Conclusion: When PSA is referred to as a tumor marker, it should be noted that coexisting prostate inflammation may contribute to a rise in PSA levels without any malignancy