Assessment of serum prostate specific antigen in childhood

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To investigate serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels with age and sex in childhood. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This prospective study included 205 children (123 boys, 82 girls; mean age 59.27 months, sd 3.78, range 2 days to 204 months) with no urogenital or endocrine disorders. PSA levels were measured using a highly sensitive, ‘third‐generation’ PSA (time‐resolved immunofluorometric) assay, able to detect PSA levels of ≥ 1 ng/L (0.001 ng/mL). Children were divided into four groups by age, i.e. A (0–12 months; 34 boys/20 girls); B (13–48, 37/21); C (49–144, 41/32); and D (> 144, 11/9). The data were analysed statistically using analysis of variance. RESULTS An accurate measurement of PSA was possible in both sexes using the assay. The median (sd, range) PSA level in boys was 38.41 (1.318, 1–2768) ng/L, and in girls 4.059 (1.392, 1–287) ng/L. There were no significant differences between girls at all age groups, or between the sexes for groups A–C, but levels were significantly higher in boys in group D (30 times that in girls), at 142.59 (1.53) and 4.85 (1.58) ng/L (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS PSA levels do not differ significantly between boys and girls until 12 years old, after which there is a significant and steep increase in PSA in boys, reflecting the development of the prostate. Assessing PSA in children could be used as a potential marker in the diagnosis and follow‐up of urogenital disorders.

Determination of the association of urine prostate specific antigen levels with anthropometric variables in children aged 5-14 years

“…13), the same group showed that the serum PSA (sPSA) does not differ significantly between boys and girls until 12 years of age (difference being observed in boys with the increase of sPSA due to prostatic development during puberty). Furthermore, another study (ref.…”

“…A recent study from Antoniou et al showed that serum PSA levels do not differ significantly between the two sexes until the age of 12 years, with median values of 38.41 ng/L (range: 1-2768) and 4.059 (1-287) ng/L for boys and girls respectively. After the age of 12, serum PSA levels in boys are seen to increase sharply (13). Another study by Sato et al found that there is a gradual increase in uPSA activity from 1-4 month old infant males and boys older than 10 years of age.…”