Changes in prostate specific antigen value in patients with COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a biomarker primarily used in prostate cancer screening.
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection with a wide range of clinical manifestations.
• The impact of acute infections on PSA levels requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values in male patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
• To assess the correlation between COVID-19 infection and PSA levels during active illness and post-recovery.

Main Methods:

• Male patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms were enrolled.
• PSA and free PSA levels were measured during active infection and one month after recovery.
• Paired samples t-test was used to analyze changes in PSA values.

Main Results:

• Overall mean PSA levels did not show a statistically significant decrease after COVID-19 recovery (2.73 ± 3.7 μg/L vs. 2.04 ± 2.32 μg/L, p = 0.12).
• However, in patients with PSA values in the gray zone (6.6 ± 4.4 μg/L during infection), a significant decrease was observed post-treatment (4.1 ± 2.9 μg/L, p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 infection may influence PSA levels, particularly in individuals with baseline gray zone PSA values.
• PSA levels in the gray zone showed a significant reduction following recovery from COVID-19, indicating a potential temporary elevation during infection.