Total, free, and complexed prostate-specific antigen levels among US men, 2007-2010

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Biochemistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is a common method for prostate cancer detection.
• Elevated total PSA (tPSA), decreased free PSA (fPSA), and increased complexed PSA (cPSA) are associated with prostate cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the distribution of PSA biomarkers in relation to demographic factors.
• To investigate how age, race/ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI) influence PSA levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 3251 men aged 40 and above from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
• Examined distributions of total PSA (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA), and complexed PSA (cPSA) across different age, race/ethnicity, and BMI groups.

Main Results:

• PSA levels increased with age, with geometric mean tPSA rising from 0.74 µg/l (40-49 years) to 1.82 µg/l (≥80 years).
• Non-Hispanic Black men exhibited higher age-adjusted mean tPSA and cPSA compared to Non-Hispanic White men.
• Obese men showed lower age-adjusted mean tPSA, fPSA, and cPSA than men with normal BMI.

Conclusions:

• PSA biomarkers (tPSA, fPSA, cPSA) demonstrate significant variations based on age, race/ethnicity, and BMI.
• Age is positively correlated with increasing PSA levels.
• Racial and obesity-related differences in PSA levels highlight the need for nuanced interpretation in prostate cancer screening.