Seasonal variation of prostatic acid phosphate and prostate-specific antigen in patients without prostatic malignancy.

The seasonal pattern of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) in nonmalignant males was investigated. Serum levels were measured in 1,540 men during a 3-year period with radioimmunoassay methods using monoclonal antibody techniques. All of the tested individuals were free of prostatic malignancy. During each of the 3 years, PAP ans PSA showed a rise, especially in spring. The mean PSA level in spring showed a statistically important difference when compared with winter, fall and summer mean levels (p less than 0.05). However, no significant difference of PAP levels was estimated seasonally in the 3 years, which shows that an important marker of prostatic cancer can vary with seasons.