The association of pathogenic factors of metabolic syndrome on serum prostate-specific antigen levels: a pilot study

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are correlated. To investigate the underlying effect of MetS on PSA levels, the relationship between the major pathogenic factors of MetS and serum PSA levels was studied. Methods A total of 506 ostensibly healthy men who underwent routine health check-ups were recruited to this study. We evaluated the effect of the major pathogenic factors of MetS, which included insulin resistance, a subclinical inflammatory state and sexual hormone changes, on serum PSA levels by using linear regression analysis and multivariate analysis after adjusting for age, BMI and prostate volume. Results When simultaneously adjusting for age, BMI, prostate volume and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum insulin levels and SHBG levels were inversely correlated with serum PSA levels (P = 0.049 and P = 0.004, respectively), and testosterone levels were positively correlated with serum PSA levels (P = 0.039). In multivariate regression models, serum insulin levels and serum SHBG levels were significantly associated with serum PSA levels (both P < 0.001). Conclusions Among the major pathogenic factors of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and sexual hormone changes may be the most significant contributors to the decline in serum PSA levels.