PITUITARY EVALUATION IN PATIENTS WITH LOW PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Urology
• Men's Health

Background:

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is common in men.
• Low PSA levels may indicate underlying hormonal imbalances.
• Pituitary function evaluation is crucial for men with hormonal deficiencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pituitary function in men with low screening PSA (≤0.1 ng/mL).
• To investigate the association between low PSA and hypogonadism or other hormone deficiencies.
• To compare hormonal profiles between men with low PSA and normal PSA levels.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 64 men over 40 years old.
• Participants were divided into low-PSA (≤0.1 ng/mL) and normal-PSA (1-4 ng/mL) groups.
• Hormonal evaluation included testosterone, IGF-1, and pituitary hormones; statistical analysis used the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test.

Main Results:

• Hypogonadism was significantly higher in the low-PSA group (45.5% vs. 15.0%; OR, 4.7).
• Total testosterone levels were significantly lower in the low-PSA group (181.7 ng/dL vs. 263.7 ng/dL).
• Low IGF-1 levels were observed in 18.6% of the low-PSA group versus 0% in the normal-PSA group.

Conclusions:

• Men with low PSA exhibit significantly higher rates of hypogonadism and low IGF-1.
• These findings suggest a potential link between low PSA and pituitary dysfunction.
• Hormonal evaluation is recommended for men with low PSA to detect associated endocrine abnormalities.