PSMA/PSA ratio evaluated by immunohistochemistry may improve diagnosis of prostate cancer

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) measured in serum are not fully satisfactory as biomarkers of prostate cancer (PC). Results obtained in this article indicated that PSMA/PSA ratio evaluated by immunohistochemistry in normal prostate (NP), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and PC at the individual level could be a useful tool for diagnosis and prognosis of PC. PSMA and PSA were equally expressed in NP and the PSMA/PSA ratio was 1.22 ± 0.15. Data also indicated that PSMA/PSA ratio fluctuates in BPH and PC compared to NP. In BPH, the PSMA/PSA ratio was around 0.47 ± 0.02, whereas it's significantly increased in PC, about 4.95 ± 0.83. In parallel, the highest PSMA/PSA ratio was associated with high intratumoral angiogenesis in PC patients with (PSMA+,PSA+) profile.