Background: Most prostate cancers are characterized by a significant
rise in the production of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is used widely
in screening for prostate cancer. Within New Zealand, PSA is measured on automated
immunoassay analysers, including models by Abbott Laboratories (Architect i2000) and
Roche Diagnostics (Elecsys 2010). These assays produce similar, but not identical,
results.
Objective: To compare the measurement of PSA between the Elecsys 2010
and the Architect i2000 assay.
Methods: We measured PSA concentrations in each of 194 serum samples
using both the Roche Elecsys 2010 and the Abbott Architect i2000 and compared the
results using various statistical methods.
Results: PSA concentrations measured on the Architect i2000 system were
less than those on the Elecsys 2010 system, by an average of 11%.
Conclusion: Because the results from the two assays are different,
reference intervals appropriate to the method of PSA measurement should be used.
