THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN, INTERLEUKIN-6 AND TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY PROSTATE CANCER IN PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA

Dr. Monday Komene Sapira* and Ukamaka Chinelo Ogbonnaya

ABSTRACT

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in middle-aged and elderly male Nigerians. Serum prostate-specific antigen is its most acceptable biomarker. The aim of this study is to determine the association between serum PSA, interleukin-6 and TNF-α, which have been associated with poor prognosis of the tumour. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients that presented to the Urology Clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Nigeria were evaluated for prostate cancer. All patients with clinical features of prostatic disease, before prostate biopsy had pretreatment serum PSA, IL-6 and TNF-α measurements using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Karl Pearson’s Correlation Test was used to determine the association between serum prostate-specific antigen, IL-6 and TNF-α. Results were organized into charts, tables and prose. Results: Forty-four (44) patients had histopathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Fifty had benign prostatic hyperplasia. There was a moderate correlation between serum PSA and serum IL-6 (P<0.001 at 95% confidence level). The correlation coefficient was 0.63752 with coefficient of determination (R-squared value) of 0.4064 or 40.64%. Similarly, a moderate correlation of 0.66656832 was observed between serum PSA and serum TNFα (P<0.001 at 95% confidence level). The coefficient of determination was 0.444313 (44.43%). Conclusion: There was significant correlation between serum PSA and interleukin-6, and between serum PSA and TNF-α. In 40.64% and 44.43% respectively, the correlation between serum PSA and the proinflammatory cytokine was most likely due to prostate cancer and its associated inflammation. The clinical significance of these findings within this population needs further studies.

Keywords: Association, Serum PSA and serum IL-6, Serum PSA and TNF-?, Primary prostate cancer, Port.