Diagnosing inflammation of the prostate at this time is a very simple procedure for a doctor. Aside from the rare atypical forms of the disease, it is relatively easy to diagnose acute prostatitis.
During the treatment of the disease, the patient must undergo a series of laboratory and instrumental examinations. Often times, patients are interested in why they need to have a general PSA blood test for prostatitis. Not everyone understands the role of this marker in diagnosing the underlying disease.
What is the PSA?
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a special glycoprotein that is produced exclusively by the cells of the prostate gland. Its main function is the liquefaction and activation of sperm during ejaculation formation.
This protein can be found in the blood, and since it is produced only in the prostate, it partially demonstrates its function and all kinds of injuries.
It is widely used in the diagnosis of diseases such as:
- Chronic prostatitis;
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia - prostate adenoma;
- Malignant neoplasms of the male organ: prostate cancer.
A general PSA blood test in chronic prostatitis can show the progress of the disease and a dangerous complication of the disease, manifested by the degeneration of damaged cells into atypical cells with the formation of prostate cancer.
Prostate specific antigen is a tumor marker that can indicate the presence of a tumor early in its development.
Normal indicators
Since the protein is synthesized in the tissues of the male gland, the presence of a small volume in the blood is the norm. The detection threshold for the normal activity of a tumor marker is a value of up to 4 ng / ml in blood.
The amount of protein depends directly on the following factors:
- The age of the man. There is a certain correlation between the age of the patient and the activity of production of a marker by the gland;
| Year old | PSA index, ng / ml |
| 40-49 | 2, 5 |
| 50-59 | 3, 5 |
| 60-69 | Four. Five |
| >70 | 6. 5 |
- The regularity of sexual relations;
- The presence of an inflammatory process in the prostate;
- Physical trauma and organ damage;
- Postponed surgical interventions or specific diagnostic procedures (prostate massage, digital rectal examination);
- Taking medicines.
All of these aspects can affect the antigen count in the bloodstream and sometimes even confuse doctors. That is why it is necessary to know how to correctly pass a PSA blood test for general male prostatitis, in order for further therapy to be successful.
PSA preparation
Before a man donates blood for the detection of prostate specific antigen, he must observe some important points that avoid misinterpretation of the final result.
To avoid laboratory errors, the patient must take into account the following characteristics:
- You should not eat 8 hours before the blood sample. He can drink tea, juice or water.
- Avoid cycling, stationary cycling, or long-distance walking (>5 km) 24 hours before the start of the study.
- 1 week before the test, you need to refrain from sexual intercourse and masturbation, taking spicy and smoked foods.
- If the patient underwent a transrectal prostate ultrasound (TRUS), digital rectal exam, colonoscopy, or bladder catheterization, it is necessary to wait at least 7 days before determining blood PSA.
- After a prostate biopsy or prostate massage, you must wait 2 weeks.
Only if all these rules are observed, it will be possible to say that the PSA blood test for general prostatitis will be really reliable.
Decoding and objectives of PSA tests
The main purpose of such an examination is the ability to monitor the course of the chronic form of the disease and quickly identify the problem if malignancy (tumor formation) of the prostate occurs.
In diseases such as acute, chronic, bacterial, or congestive prostatitis, the PSA level may rise slightly to 5 ng / ml. This is not yet a cause for panic. If, after conducting adequate drug therapy, the indicator does not normalize, this is considered an absolute indication for puncture of an organ with its subsequent histological examination.
Normally, the larger the volume of the prostate, the more cells are capable of producing glycoprotein. It has been clinically shown that 1 gram of organic parenchyma in benign hyperplasia additionally synthesizes 0. 35 ng / ml of antigen. The same indicator of cancer is 3. 5 ng / ml.
This ratio allows physicians with a high degree of reliability to judge the possibility of developing malignant neoplasms in chronic inflammation of the prostate gland. According to statistics, 83% of cancer patients simultaneously suffered from prolonged inflammation in the male gland. This allows us to consider this pathology as a predictor of cancer.
conclusion
A blood test for PSA in prostatitis is part of the mandatory examinations of urological patients. Its importance can hardly be overestimated, since it can reliably indicate the formation of atypical cell growth, which leads to the development of malignant neoplasms.