Abstract

GONZALEZ CALVAR, Silvia Inés; SALCEDO, José Luis  and  MARTINEZ MANGINI, Miguel Ángel. Recent advances in the diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2005, vol.39, n.2, pp.171-185. ISSN 0325-2957.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a progressive disease, which is present in more than 50% of men over 50 years of age. The development of this pathology involves prostatic cellular growth in the glandular area that surrounds the proximal urethra, namely transitional zone. Therefore, this gross glandular enlargement causes urinary retention, renal disfunction and infection. Every aging man affected by BPH needs a precise diagnosis of the disease in order to apply the proper treatment and ameliorate the symptoms that affect their quality of life. Epidemiological studies are made to gain more insight into the interrelationships among different factors participating in the etiology and pathogenesis of a disease and, furthermore to elaborate a rational approach on its early diagnosis. Particularly, the interpretation of epidemiological studies in BPH is difficult since no reliable tools exist that would clearly identify this pathology. In this context, it is important to search for a valuable biochemical marker for the precise diagnosis of BPH. This review will analyze the main factors that participate in the regulation of prostatic growth and that might influence on the pathogenesis of BPH. Consequently, it will evaluate the different parameters used in the early diagnosis of the disease.

Keywords : benign prostatic hyperplasia; prostate; androgen; estrogen; prolactin; growth factors; specific prostatic antigen; transforming growth factor-b.

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