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PSA decrease after levofloxacin therapy in patients with histological prostatitis

Guercio S, Terrone C, Tarabuzzi R, Poggio M, Cracco C, Bollito E, Scarpa RM

Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica, 2004

26 participants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of levofloxacin (LVX) oral therapy on total serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) values in patients with histological prostatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive outpatients with histological evidence of chronic prostatitis, total PSA > 4 ng/ml, normal DRE and urinalysis and treated once daily with LVX 500 mg per os for 20 days were retrospectively evaluated for total serum PSA reduction. A decrease of PSA value > 5% was considered correlated with the antibiotic therapy.

RESULTS: A total of 26 outpatients were evaluated (median age = 65 years). Median total serum PSA concentrations, before and after LVX therapy, were 7.1 ng/ml (range 4.1-15 ng/ml) and 5.8 ng/ml (2-15 ng/ml), respectively (p= n.s). The median reduction of total PSA was 16.6% (range 5.7 - 63.6%). A statistically significant decrease of median total PSA was observed in 15 out of 26 patients (57.6%): 7.2 ng/ml and 4.2 ng/ml before and after LVX therapy, respectively (p=0.002); the marker normalized in 7 out of 15 patients (46.7%). In all the remaining patients prostate biopsy was repeated: prostate cancer (Pca) was detected in 1 out of 8 patients with significant reduction of total PSA and in 4 out of 11 patients with no significant marker decrease. The incidence of Pca in second prostate biopsies raised from 19% (5 cases out of 26) to 26% (5 cases out of 19).

CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with LVX significantly reduced PSA values in over half of the patients with asymptomatic…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 26 participants or records.

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