Re: The Metabolites Citrate, Myo-Inositol, and Spermine Are Potential Age-Independent Markers of Prostate Cancer in Human Expressed Prostatic Secretions

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, metabolite profiles of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) from patients with prostate cancer were compared with those from healthy controls. Among the metabolites measured, citrate, spermine, and myo-inositol showing 2-3 times lower concentrations in patients were most predictive of prostate cancer. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were 0.89, 0.87, and 0.79 with specificities of 74%, 51%, and 34%, respectively, at the cut-off points for 90% sensitivity. The authors suggested the analytes as potential markers of prostate cancer.