THE POTENTIAL USE OF PROSTATIC SECRETORY PROTEIN OF 94 AMINO-ACID-RESIDUES (PSP(94)) AS A SERUM MARKER FOR PROSTATIC TUMOR

The serum concentrations of prostatic secretory protein of 94 amino ac id residues (PSP94) as well as those of prostate-specific antigen (PSA ) were determined in 40 patients with established prostatic carcinoma, prior to transurethral resection of the prostate. In a comparison wit h a control group of healthy men (n = 40) and a group of patients with histologically established benign prostatic hyperplasia (n = 40) no s ignificant differences in PSP94 serum concentrations between the group s were observed. Similarly, correlations of PSP94 serum concentrations with prostatic carcinoma stages or grades were not detected. In contr ast, and as expected, PSA behaved as a prostate tumor marker of known sensitivity and specificity. A correlation of PSP94 and PSA concentrat ions in sera of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and/or pros tatic carcinoma could not be verified. PSP94 apparently does not fulfi ll the criteria of a serum marker for monitoring adenomas and/or carci nomas of the prostate.