Seasonal changes in urinary prostate-specific antigenic activity in male Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscaa fuscata).

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is usually detected in male adult urine and semen according to the Tanner stage development of males from birth to adolescence. To further study the pituitary-testicular axis in males, we determined urinary PSA levels in primates. Urinary PSA was detected with the use of anti-human PSA monoclonal antibody in male adult Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscaa fuscata) of seasonal breeding status. PSA activity in aseasonal animals (crab-eating macaques, Macaca fascisularis) did not change throughout the year; however, alterations in PSA activity were observed in Japanese macaques during breeding season, with the highest levels observed between October and January, the lowest levels between January and June, and a gradual increase in PSA activity observed from August until October. Although primate urinary PSA produces 2 polypeptide bands of approximately 55 and 33 kd, in addition to a band corresponding to human urinary PSA, the 33-kd polypeptide band was less pronounced during nonbreeding season in Japanese macaques. Urinary testosterone (T) levels in seasonally breeding animals (Japanese macaques) changed in parallel with urinary PSA levels. When urinary PSA and T levels were compared among animals during the breeding season (from October to February) and the nonbreeding season (from March to September), significantly increased PSA and T levels were observed during the breeding season. Furthermore, PSA and T levels in a monkey housed in a cage placed between 2 female cages were elevated compared with other monkeys. Increased PSA activity was observed concurrent with menstrual blood loss in females. These results suggest a link between PSA activity and testosterone levels, which could be influenced by changes in the female menstrual cycle.

Urinary prostate-specific antigen is a noninvasive indicator of sexual development in male children.

Testicular androgen induces the synthesis of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in acinar epithelial cells of the prostate. We examined PSA activity in urine from 136 male children from birth up to 17 years of age. We detected PSA at various intervals in early infant urine over a period of 1-4 months. During this period, urinary secretion of testosterone (T) gradually declined, accompanied by 1 or more surges of T prior to a transient increase in PSA in urine from full- and preterm infants (67%, n = 6). Although mean urinary T concentrations during elevations of PSA in preterm infants were 3.1 and 5.6 times greater than in full-term infants and adults, the overall mean urinary PSA concentration of full and preterm infants was just 45% and 18% that of adults, respectively. PSA was not detected in children aged 0.3 to 9 years, after which a gradual increase in urinary PSA activity was observed after 10 years of age. Urinary PSA activity was markedly persistent after Tanner stage III pubertal development. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate an induction of PSA during early infancy by bioactive T in normally developing human males. We conclude that urinary PSA is a non-invasive, useful indicator for developmental studies from neonatal and adolescent males, which can be measured with a confirmatory semiquantitative PSA assay.

Use of the "SMITEST" PSA card to identify the presence of prostate-specific antigen in semen and male urine.

To determine whether the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) could be identified in semen using the "SMITEST" PSA immunochromatographic membrane test card, we examined semen and other body fluids, including urine. Although PSA activity was detected in semen with high sensitivity using the "SMITEST" PSA card, it was also detected in adult male urine. However, the lower detectable limit in the urine was 1000-fold lower than that in semen. The concentration of PSA in adult male urine was found to be 800 ng/ml using the card. PSA activity usually can be detected in urine of individuals over 14 years old and it has been detected in urine from children as young as 11 years old. Therefore, the appearance of PSA in urine may occur anytime between the age of 12 and 14 years. To determine the stability of PSA activity in urine, dried samples of urine on filter paper were kept at room temperature for up to 3 years. Although the immunoreactive line showing PSA activity became weak after storage, it was still detectable, but faint, after 3 years. In addition, PSA activity was not detected in male serum or saliva and in the urine from human females, male cats or male dogs using the PSA card. We conclude that the PSA card is useful for identification of PSA in both semen and adult male urine.