The Value of Prostate-Specific Antigen in Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Adolescent Girls.

STUDY

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to evaluate and compare the serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in adolescent girls in with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to show whether evaluation of PSA levels have a diagnostic benefit over existing diagnostic criteria.

DESIGN

Case-control study.

SETTING

A territory referral center.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 89 (15-19 years) nonobese (body mass index, 18-24.9) adolescents with PCOS (n = 42) and controls without PCOS (n = 47) were enrolled in the study.

INTERVENTIONS: Pathophysiological features of PCOS and serum total PSA levels were determined at the time of study enrollment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Determination, comparison, and diagnostic performance of serum total PSA levels in diagnosis of PCOS in adolescent girls were the main outcome measures of the study.

RESULTS

The serum total PSA levels of adolescents with PCOS were detected to be higher than for control participants (0.63 ± 1.38 ng/mL vs 0.48 ± 0.95 ng/mL) without meeting statistical significance (P = .923). There was a correlation between total PSA levels and indices of insulin resistance like the homeostasis insulin resistance model (r = 0.414; P = .010). The serum total PSA level was not a discriminative parameter for diagnosis of PCOS in adolescent girls (area under the curve, 0.559; P = .476).

CONCLUSION

The serum total PSA level was not a predictor of PCOS in adolescent girls. This finding might be related to the extemporal nature of tissues capable of PSA production and lack of sufficient exposure interval to hyperandrogenemia, rather than lack of stimulatory relationship between serum androgens.