PSMA

Although it is not a secretory protein, PSMA is a membrane-bound glycoprotein with high specificity for benign or malignant prostatic epithelial cells.

This is a novel prognostic marker that is present in the serum of healthy men, according to studies with monoclonal antibody 7E11.C5.

An elevated concentration is associated with the presence of prostate cancer.

PSMA levels correlate best with advanced stage, or with a hormonerefractory state.

However, studies of the expression of PSMA in serum of both normal individuals and prostate cancer patients using western blots have provided conflicting results in some laboratories.