Detecting Novel Urine Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer: Platelet Derived Growth Factor-BB as a Possible New Target.

Introduction: Although the prostate specific antigen revolutionized the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa), it has its limitations. We prospectively examined the potential use of the platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) as a urine biomarker for the early diagnosis of PCa.

Materials and Methods: The urine samples of 118 patients were collected after a prostatic massage and all the patients subsequently underwent ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsy. PDGF-BB was detected in the urine by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Patients with PCa had greater levels of prostate specific antigen and PDGF-BB. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-of of PDGF-BB for the prediction of PCa was 1,504.9 with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 51.3%. For a 100 unit increase in PDGF-BB, the likelihood for PCa increased about 4%.

Conclusion: PDGF-BB showed a significant predictive ability for PCa. Detection of PDGF-BB in urine with Elisa was easy and improved our diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of PCa.