In the fight against inflammatory diseases, timely diagnosis plays a key role, which is why a blood test for prostatitis is so important. To obtain a complete picture of the state of the body, several types of studies are carried out.
Why is it carried out
The study allows not only to record the development of the disease in the early stages, even before the onset of symptoms, but also to track the effectiveness of treatment. The inflammatory process from the prostate can expand to neighboring organs. To be able to prevent this and other complications in time, analyzes such as:
- general (UAC);
- biochemical;
- to determine the prostate specific antigen (PSA);
- hormonal;
- for the definition of sexually transmitted diseases.
Deciphering the results of the studies carried out will give the attending physician a complete picture of the patient’s condition.
What information does
Each of these types provides data on the levels and response to external factors of blood components, the presence of pathogenic bacteria and hormonal levels. Deviations from normal values in any direction indicate the development of pathology. After a complete examination, you can accurately determine the diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.
The sampling of material for a blood test with diagnosed prostatitis in men is carried out regularly. The first reason for this is the need to control the healing processes . If no improvement is observed with the prescribed treatment course, or complications / side effects occur, it is better to know about this before the onset of dangerous symptoms. In such cases, the treatment program is adjusted.
The second reason for regular examination is the importance of monitoring the general health of the patient for the development of concomitant or similar diseases. The manifestation of their signs may not be noticed against the background of a developing disease.
Normal values for OAC and PSA
A general blood test is prescribed by specialists primarily to determine the developing, even in the early stages, inflammatory processes.
If a pathology is suspected, the material for study is taken from the cubital vein. This liquid is saturated with the waste products of cells, and therefore will give more information.
In the CBC results sheet of a patient with prostate problems, the levels of the main indicators will be knocked down. Namely:
- increased leukocytes, the indicator for prostatitis is more than 9 * 109;
- the erythrocyte sedimentation rate will increase, exceeding the norm of 5 mm / h;
- the hemoglobin index will drop beyond the level of 110g / l;
- more than 4 stab leukocytes will be found.
An increase in white blood cells indicates the inflammatory nature of the disease and the normal reaction of the body to bacteria.
PSA, norms
Determining the amount of prostate specific antigen is aimed at determining the presence of male diseases. The reasons for his appointment are:
- suspected oncology or monitoring of ongoing anticancer treatment;
- urine is excreted by the body often, but not completely, forcing you to visit the restroom many times, including at night;
- the process of urination is accompanied by pain and burning;
- the patient complains of pain in the lumbar region and perineum;
- the age of the patient has reached the border of 50 years.
In order for the results to be clean, it is necessary to take the analysis after preliminary preparation. For two weeks, prostate massage stops (if any). Sexual intercourse is excluded for 1 week. 8 hours before the collection, food, smoking, alcohol are excluded, only water remains.
Depending on the age group of the subject, the PSA level will vary.
| Age group | PSA, normal, ng /mg |
| Up to 40 years old | Up to 2.5 |
| 40 to 50 years old | 2.5-3.5 |
| 50 to 60 years old | 3.5-4.5 |
| 60 to 70 years old | 4.5-6.5 |
| After 70 years | Over 6.5 |
The range of the indicator for developing pathology is 4-10 ng / mg. According to the results, for the final diagnosis, a biopsy of prostate tissue is prescribed.
At the same time, the increase should not be considered as a pathology, since the reason for it may be age, sexual activity or eating before analysis. Several factors can increase this indicator, which is why it is so important to take the preparation responsibly.
Analysis for sexual infections and hormones
The bacterial variety of the disease can be caused by sexually transmitted diseases. Leukocytes in the blood with prostatitis of this type will also be increased. To treat this type of inflammation is necessary to eliminate the source of bacteria.
If a bacterial nature is suspected, the doctor prescribes a set of studies to identify genital infections in the body. We are talking about chlamydia, candidiasis, genital herpes, mycoplasmosis and others.
Since one of the causes of the pathology may be a failure in the hormonal background, a man will need to be tested to determine the level of hormones contained. The specialist will need the volumes of produced testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone.
Biochemistry
Of the more than a hundred indicators provided by such an examination, when diagnosing prostatitis, the attending physician will look at a few. The most important will be:
- hepatic transaminases and their activity;
- volumes of total and fractional protein;
- the level of urea;
- indicators of nitrogen content, creatinine;
- cholesterol level.
The increased content of these components indicates problems in the processing and elimination of toxins, a decrease in the body’s natural defenses, and poor blood circulation. Such failures will indicate a violation of blood flow in the tissues of the prostate gland, acute or chronic prostatitis and pathologies in the kidneys / liver.
Deciphering the results
Deciphering the results and making a diagnosis should only be done by the attending physician. It is possible that some results were distorted and only a comprehensive examination can clarify the picture. The ratio of the results of all these studies allows you to see the pathology and its causes, as well as increase the effectiveness of treatment.
If you want to understand the form received from the laboratory on your own, you should pay attention to the general analysis. If leukocytosis is observed, we can talk about inflammatory processes. The same applies to ESR, and hemoglobin levels.
White blood cells tend to rise not only with prostatitis, so you need to check the PSA forms. Exceeding the normal indicator of the latter also indicates a problem.
What do the doctor’s say
Dmitry Sergeevich Zubanov, urologist
“Given the modern availability and possibilities of in vitro tests , regular checks of blood counts are mandatory. KLA and a biochemical study as part of a preventive examination is a natural procedure that allows one to determine the development of the disease by the level of neutrophils alone.
Without proper laboratory testing, accurate diagnosis is impossible. With prostatitis that shows symptoms late enough, this is extremely important.
Regular examination by a urologist, especially for elderly patients, is a key condition for maintaining health. The result of such an examination will be a referral to basic analyzes, on the basis of which additional studies are possible. You can pass the examination yourself, but the decoding should be entrusted to a specialist.