Free PSA performs better than total PSA in predicting prostate volume in Chinese men with PSA levels of 2.5–9.9 ng ml−1

This study investigated whether free prostate-specific antigen(fPSA)performs better than total PSA(tPSA)in predicting prostate volume(PV)in Chinese men with different PSA levels.A total of 5463 men with PSA levels of<10 ng ml^(−1) and without prostate cancer diagnosis were included in this study.Patients were classified into four groups:PSA<2.5 ng ml^(−1),2.5–3.9 ng ml^(−1),4.0–9.9 ng ml^(−1),and 2.5–9.9 ng ml^(−1).Pearson/Spearman's correlation coefficient(r)and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to evaluate the ability of tPSA and fPSA to predict PV.The correlation coefficient between tPSA and PV in the PSA<2.5 ng ml^(−1) cohort(r=0.422;P<0.001)was markedly higher than those of the cohorts with PSA levels of 2.5–3.9 ng ml^(−1),4.0–9.9 ng ml^(−1),and 2.5–9.9 ng ml^(−1)(r=0.114,0.167,and 0.264,respectively;all P≤0.001),while fPSA levels did not differ significantly among different PSA groups.Area under ROC curve(AUC)analyses revealed that the performance of fPSA in predicting PV≥40 ml(AUC:0.694,0.714,and 0.727)was better than that of tPSA(AUC=0.545,0.561,and 0.611)in men with PSA levels of 2.5–3.9 ng ml^(−1),4.0–9.9 ng ml^(−1),and 2.5–9.9 ng ml^(−1),respectively,but not at PSA levels of<2.5 ng ml^(−1)(AUC:0.713 vs 0.720).These findings suggest that the relationship between tPSA and PV may vary with PSA level and that fPSA is more powerful at predicting PV only in the"gray zone"(PSA levels of 2.5–9.9 ng ml^(−1)),but its performance was similar to that of tPSA at PSA levels of<2.5 ng ml^(−1).

PSA density improves the rate of prostate cancer detection in Chinese men with a PSA between 2.5-10.0 ng ml-1 and 10.1-20.0 ng ml-1： a multicenter study

Chinese men should have a higher prostate-specific antigen （PSA） ＂gray zone＂ than the traditional value of 2.5-10.0 ng ml-1 since the incidence of prostate cancer （PCa） in Chinese men is relative low. We hypothesized that PSA density （PSAD） could improve the rate of PCa detection in Chinese men with a PSA higher than the traditional PSA ＂gray zone.＂ A total of 461 men with a PSA between 2.5 and 20.0 ng ml-1, who had undergone prostatic biopsy at two Chinese centers were included in the analysis. The men were then further divided into groups with a PSA between 2.5-10.0 ng ml-1 and 10.1-20.0 ng ml-1. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of PSA and PSAD for the diagnosis of PCa. In men with a PSA of 2.5-10.0 ng ml-1 or 10.1-20.0 ng ml-z, the areas under the ROC curve were higher for PSAD than for PSA. This was consistent across both centers and the cohort overall. When the entire cohort was considered, the optimal PSAD cut-off for predicting PCa in men with a PSA of 2.5-10.0 ng m1-1 was 0.15 ng ml-2 ml-2, with a sensitivity of 64.4% and specificity of 64.6%. The optimal cut-off for PSAD in men with a PSA of 10.1-20.0 ng m1-1 was 0.33 ng ml-1 ml-1, with a sensitivity of 60.3% and specificity of 82.7%. PSAD can improve the effectiveness for PCa detection in Chinese men with a PSA of 2.5-10.0 ng ml-1 （traditional Western PSA ＂gray zone＂） and 10.1-20.0 ng ml-2 （Chinese PSA ＂gray zone＂）.

PGL3 is required for chlorophyll synthesis and impacts leaf senescence in rice

Rice leaf color mutants play a great role in research about the formation and development of chloroplasts and the genetic mechanism of the chlorophyll （Chl） metabolism pathway, pgl3 is a rice leaf color mutant derived from Xiushuil 1 （Oryza sativa L. spp. japonica）, treated with ethyl methane sulfonate （EMS）. The mutant exhibited a pale- green leaf （pg/） phenotype throughout the whole development as well as reduced grain quality. Map-based cloning of PGL3 revealed that it encodes the chloroplast signal recognition particle 43 kDa protein （cpSRP43）. PGL3 affected the Chl synthesis by regulating the expression levels of the Chl synthesis-associated genes. Considerable reactive oxygen species were accumulated in the leaves of pgl3, and the transcription levels of its scavenging genes were down- regulated, indicating that pgl3 can accelerate senescence. In addition, high temperatures could inhibit the plant＇s growth and facilitate the process of senescence in pgl3.