Improving the comparability of immunoassays for prostate-specific antigen (PSA): progress and problems

Clin Chim Acta. 2007 May;381(1):85-92. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2007.02.015. Epub 2007 Feb 20.

Abstract

Background: Commutability of immunoassay test results is an important objective for laboratory medicine.

Methods: PSA is a clinically important analyte for which, as a consequence of a number of national and international initiatives over the last decade, considerable progress has been made towards improving method comparability. However, results from different assays are still not interchangeable, a situation that is only likely to improve once broad recommendations can be made about the most clinically relevant antibody combinations.

Conclusions: Universal implementation of such recommendations would almost certainly improve between-method agreement substantially, provided careful attention were paid to assay design and use of appropriately pure secondary standards ensured.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / standards*
  • Male
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / analysis*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen