Prevalence of Elevated Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen and its Association with Age Among Apparently Healthy Men in Abuja, Nigeria
Keywords:
Abuja, Ethinic Groups, Prostate Specific Antigen Screening, Prostate Specific Antigen Level With AgeAbstract
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a glycoprotein enzyme produced by epithelial cells of the prostate gland. It is present in low concentrations in the blood of healthy men; however, levels may become elevated due to prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or prostatitis. Prostate cancer remains a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria where late diagnosis contributes to high mortality rates. PSA testing was introduced in the late 1980s and rapidly gained acceptance due to its ability to detect prostate cancer at earlier stage. This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated serum PSA concentrations among 150 men aged 40 years and above who participated in a PSA testing program in Abuja. The principal findings were that the median PSA concentration was 0.80 ng/mL, 6.7% of participants had PSA concentrations of 4.0 to 10.0ng/mL and 2.0% had PSA concentration >10.0ng/ml. The prevalence of PSA ≥4.0 ng/mL in the present study was 13/150 =8.7% (95% CI: 5.1–14.3%). PSA concentration was significantly positively correlated with age, however, no statistically significant difference in PSA concentration was observed among the major ethnic groups represented. This supports the importance of age in the interpretation of PSA concentrations among Nigerian men.
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