[Determination of prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase as tumor markers of cancer of the prostate].

The authors analyzed 3,079 serum determinations for prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) that had been performed in 1,470 patients. The control group was comprised of 370 patients, 444 comprised the patient group with benign non-prostatic disease, 201 had malignant nonprostatic disease, 290 had benign prostatic disease (85 uncomplicated benign prostatic hypertrophy, 125 complicated benign prostatic hypertrophy, 50 acute prostatitis, 30 chronic prostatitis), 78 had untreated prostate carcinoma, and 165 were patients with prostate carcinoma under treatment. Quantification of PSA and PAP was performed by double antibody radioimmunoassay. The upper limit for normal values was set at 10 ng/ml. for PSA and 2.5 ng/ml. for PAP. Statistical analyses were performed with a personal computer using the SPSC program. Non-parametric tests were utilized throughout in the absence of a normal distribution of values for both tumor markers. In the control group, no significant differences in PSA and PAP levels were observed relative to the age group for the female patients; however, for the male patients, a significant increase was observed after age 15 for both markers. Furthermore, after age 50 PAP values became stable whereas a slight increase was observed for PSA. With regard to tumor mass, a significant correlation was found between PSA levels and the different patient groups while no remarkable differences were observed for PAP levels in those patients without or with single metastasis. We can conclude from the foregoing findings that PSA is currently the most useful tumor marker in diagnosing, staging, and monitoring prostate cancer. However, we believe that PSA and PAP are different manifestations of the prostate cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)