Age-specific Reference Ranges and Cutoff Point of Prostate Specific Antigen in Normal Korean Men

Jang, Chun Ik; Yeum, Gyu Young

Abstract

PURPOSE: Nevertheless, the lack of sensitivity and specificity in the detection of prostate cancer, the serum prostate specific antigen(PSA) is one of the commonly used diagnostic modality for detecting prostate cancer. But using PSA cutoff point greater than 4.0ng/ml and the normal age-specific reference ranges established by Oesterling and associates(age 40 to 49 years, 0 to 2.5ng/ml, age 50 to 59, 0 to 3.5ng/ml; age 60 to 69, 0 to 4.5ng/ml; age 70 to 79, 0 to 6.5ng/ml) is not certain whether it is preferable to Korean men. We measured the serum PSA in order to know the normal age-specific reference ranges and the cutoff point of PSA in 2,098 health Korean men.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The data were analysed retrospectively in 2,098 men (range of age 40-79) who visited our hospital health care center without voiding-related symptoms between November 1995 to December 1997. Serum PSA was measured by chemiluminescent immunometric assay.
RESULTS
Using 95th percentile of PSA, the normal age-specific reference ranges are: age 40 to 49 years, 0 to 2.2ng/ml; age 50 to 59, 0 to 2.5ng/ml; age 60 to 69,0 to 3.5ng/ml; age 70 to 79,0 to 6.0ng/ml. Cutoff point of PSA is 2.6ng/ml(95th percentile of PSA).
CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggested that the age-specific reference ranges and cutoff point of PSA in normal Korean men are lower than white men.