Appraisal of the Diagnostic Performance of proPSA and LDH in Comparison with PSA for Detection of Prostate Cancer with Special Reference to Smoking Status

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant diseases among middle-aged and elderly men, therefore, PCa screening is critical for early detection and control of the disease, as well as a better life for the patient.

Objective: Designed to compare the diagnostic performance of proenzyme PSA (proPSA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for detecting prostate cancer.

Methods: Serum samples from 101 men, with an age range of 50-87 years, were tested. PSA, proPSA, and LDH were the serum biomarkers measured. Twenty-four patients were diagnosed with PCa according to prostate biopsy, 42 patients with benign prostate diseases, and 35 healthy men, which was defined as a control group.
Results: The control group displayed a median PSA serum level of 1.79 ng/mL, which increased to 8.05 ng/mL in patients with benign prostate diseases and 21.58 ng/mL in men with PCa. The corresponding median serum levels of proPSA in these subjects were 0.154, 0.228, and 2.65 ng/mL, respectively. Whereas the median levels of serum LDH were 282.3, 282.3, and 506.8 U/L, respectively. The current study also revealed that some men have PCa, yet their PSA levels are normal for their age, while other individuals have elevated PSA levels but do not have PCa. Cigarette smoking was positively associated with elevated serum levels of these biomarkers in the patient population.

Conclusions: This study concluded that proPSA and LDH have shown potential for improving PCa detection, particularly in men with elevated PSA levels.