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Hepatocyte growth factor and interleukin-6 in combination with prostate volume are possible prostate cancer tumor markers in patients with gray-zone PSA levels

Abstract

The aim was to assess whether hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and interleukin (IL)-6 in combination with prostate volume are able to accurately detect prostate cancer in patients with gray-zone prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. A total of 159 patients with PSA levels of <10 ng ml−1 were enrolled. Forty-two (35.3%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer, whereas 117 (64.7%) had no cancer and were used as benign group. HGF and IL-6 density (HGFD and IL-6D, respectively) values were calculated by dividing serum HGF and IL-6 levels with prostate volume. Median IL-6 (2.3 pg ml−1) levels for the prostate cancer group were significantly higher than those for the benign group before adjustment for age (1.7 pg ml−1) (P=0.0098). After age adjustments, median IL-6 (2.17 pg ml−1), HGFD (0.00972 ng ml−1 cm−3), and IL-6D (0.0848 pg ml−1 cm−3) values for the prostate cancer group were significantly higher than those for the benign group (IL-6, 1.78 pg ml−1; HGFD, 0.00732 ng/ml/cc; and IL-6D, 0.049 pg/ml/cc; P=0.0416, 0.007 and 0.0005, respectively). In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the areas under the curves for HGFD (0.64) and IL-6D (0.68) were significantly greater than those for HGF (0.52) and IL-6 (0.61) (P=0.0006 and 0.019, respectively). With an HGFD cutoff value of 0.00392 ng ml−1 cm−3 (sensitivity=100%, specificity=11%), 11.1% of the benign group were able to avoid unnecessary biopsies without missing prostate cancer. HGF and IL-6 levels in combination with prostate volume were shown to be useful parameters for prostate cancer screening in patients with gray-zone PSA levels.

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Correspondence to K Nishimura.

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Nishimura, K., Arichi, N., Tokugawa, S. et al. Hepatocyte growth factor and interleukin-6 in combination with prostate volume are possible prostate cancer tumor markers in patients with gray-zone PSA levels. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 11, 258–263 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.pcan.4501006

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