Measurement of serum total and free prostate-specific antigen in women with colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

We investigated the diagnostic value and the relationship with clinicopathological features of total and free prostate-specific antigen by measuring the concentrations of these markers in the sera of 75 women with colorectal carcinoma and in 30 healthy women. Measurements were performed by immunoradiometric assay which utilizes monoclonal and polyclonal antiprostate-specific antigen antibodies; the lowest detection level for both markers was 0.01 ng ml 71. Free prostate-specific antigen levels were significantly higher in women with colorectal carcinoma than healthy women (P=0.006). The percentage of free prostate-specific antigen predominant (free prostate-specific antigen/total prostate-specific antigen 450%) subjects was 20% in colorectal carcinoma patients and 3.3% in healthy women (P=0.035). Cut-off values were 0.34 ng ml 71 for total prostate-specific antigen and 0.01 ng ml 71 for free prostate-specific antigen. In women with colorectal carcinoma, total prostate-specific antigen positivity was 20% and free prostate-specific antigen positivity was 34.6%. When compared to negatives, total prostate-specific antigen positive patients had a lower percentage of well-differentiated (P=0.056) and early stage (stages I and II) tumours (P=0.070). However, patients with predominant free prostate-specific antigen, had a higher percentage of well-differentiated (P=0.014) and early stage tumours (P=0.090) than patients with predominant bound prostate-specific antigen. In conclusion, although the sensitivity of free prostate-specific antigen predominancy is low (20%), in distinguishing women with colorectal carcinoma than healthy women, its specificity is high (96.7%). Free prostate-specific antigen predominancy tends to be present in less aggressive tumours. These findings may indicate clinical significance of preoperative measurement of serum total and free prostate-specific antigen in women with colorectal carcinoma.

Blood Markers for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review

“…Further studies (10,29,(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37) examining various antigen markers are shown in Table 1C. Early approaches were the investigation of sialylated Lewis X antigen (SLEX) and of CO 29.11, another sialylated Lewis antigen.…”

Prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): a meta-analysis

“…Although the source of serum PSA in women is not clear yet, it might reflect androgen action in one or more androgen- sensitive tissues and might also be a reliable biochemical marker of the biological action of androgen [13]. It has been recently reported in female colorectal and breast cancer; the results suggest that serum PSA might play a role in the diagnosis of these cancers [24, 25]. Futhermore, serum PSA levels are increased in hirsute patients and accompanying the degree of hyperandrogenism [26–28].…”

Prostate-specific antigen-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors in colon cancer patients

“…Androgen, progesterone, and oestrogen receptors seem to exist and be expressed in colorectal cancer tissues (29)(30)(31)(32). Duraker et al reported that the levels of free PSA in female colorectal carcinoma patients are significantly higher than those of healthy women, indicating the existence of PSA in colon cancer tissues (21). In addition, PSA has been detected in colon cancer tissues of both male and female patients (19).…”

“…A high level of PSA was detected in a colon cancer patient who showed no evidence of prostate cancer, and PSA concentrations returned to normal levels after total removal of the cancer (20). Analysis of preoperative serum PSA concentrations of female colorectal carcinoma patients revealed that total PSA has a tendency to be present in aggressive histological types and in advanced-stage tumors, but that free PSA was predominantly detected in well-differentiated and early-stage tumors (21). These lines of evidence suggest that PSA might be immunogenic in colon cancer patients.…”