CORRELATION BETWEEN CHRONIC PROSTATITIS AND PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN VALUES

Objective: There is a clinical correlation between chronic prostatitis and elevated serum levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). Here a system was developed to grade inflammation in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) which correlates with serum PSA. Patients and Methods: We studied retrospectively 45 patients undergoing transurethral resection of prostate or open prostatectomy. In all patients histological sections of prostate demonstrated benign hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration that was graded as G0 (scattered infiltrate within the stroma), G1 (contact between infiltrate and glandular epithelium, without epithelial disruption) and G2 (clear glandular epithelial disruption). PSA levels were determined pre and postoperatively with the Hybritech Tandem-R assay. Results: The difference in mean serum PSA among groups G0 and G2 was highly significant (G0 = 3.6 ± 2.2; G2 = 7.4 ± 3.7 ng/ml; p 0.05). Conclusion: We concluded that in men with BPH and prostatitis on pathological examination there is an associated PSA elevation when glandular epithelium is disrupted.