Introduction and Objective: Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common neoplastic disorder affecting the aging male population worldwide. Various factors such as age, prostate volume, serum prostate-specific antigen, and testicular androgens determine the natural history and its progression. The objective of the study is to correlate the relationship between these factors in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Methods: A total of 121 men aged above 50 years with benign prostatic hyperplasia were enrolled in this study. Patients were evaluated by history, digital rectal examination, focused neurological evaluation, uroflowmetry, transrectal ultrasonography of the prostate, serum prostate-specific antigen, serum testosterone (free and total), and prostate biopsy done in patients with prostate-specific antigen > 4 ng/ml to exclude prostatic carcinoma. Patients were divided by age, and a Spearman rank correlation test was done to compare variables.
Results: There was a positive correlation within age, prostate volume, and serum prostate-specific antigen level. Age negatively correlated with serum total and free testosterone level. A comparison among serum PSA, prostate volume, and serum testosterone level did not reveal any statistically significant relationship.
Conclusion: We observed statistically significant correlations within age, prostate volume, and serum prostate-specific antigen level. These variables bear no significant relationship with serum testosterone levels. Considering the contradictory data on the inter-relationship of various variables, further evaluation in a large cohort of the aging population with benign enlargement of the prostate is needed to establish the influence of one over the other.
KEYWORDS: BPH, serum PSA, serum testosterone
CORRESPONDENCE: Sasanka K Baruah, Assistant Professor, Department of Urology, Gauhati Medical College Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India ( )
CITATION: UroToday Int J. 2012 October;5(5):art 43.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3834/uij.1944-5784.2012.10.02
