Serum Uric acid and Renal function determinants in Prostate Cancer Patients attending the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.

Abstract

Renal function decline in prostate cancer patients may result in a double burden of disease. It is therefore necessary to look for economical and accurate markers to monitor the progress of renal damage and to avoid complications arising from renal damage. This study investigated the changes in urinary protein, serum uric acid, creatinine and uric acid clearance in prostate cancer patients. Seventy participants were consecutively recruited and comprised 20 treatment-naïve and 20 androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) treated-prostate cancer patients and 30 controls. Serum and urine creatinine, uric acid and urine protein were determined using colorimetric methods, prostate specific antigen by ELISA and creatinine, uric acid clearance and total urinary protein output were calculated. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance at p< 0.05. Total urine protein output was significantly higher in both treatment naïve (p=0.001) and ADT-treated prostate cancer patients (p=0.039) compared to controls. The treatment naïve prostate cancer patients had significantly higher serum uric acid compared to both ADT-treated prostate cancer patients (p=0.037) and controls (p=0.012) while the ADT-treated prostate cancer patients had significantly higher (p=0.012) systolic blood pressure compared to controls. There were no significant variations (p>0.05) in creatinine and uric acid clearance among the groups. Since only proteinuria predicted renal functional impairment in the prostate cancer patients, it is suggested that proteinuria may be a better predictor of renal functional decline, for these groups of patients. We therefore advocate that it be included in routine evaluation
during management of prostate cancer patients.