BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. To date, the role of the combined application of long non-coding RNAs (PCA3, DLX1, HOXC6, TMPRSS2:ERG) for obtaining the most accurate method of detection of PCa has not yet been comprehensively investigated. METHODS: In total 240 persons were included in the retrospective study. Among them were 150 patients with confirmed PCa, 30 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, 30 patients with active chronic prostatitis and 30 healthy volunteers. In all patients, the urine samples were collected prior to biopsy or treatment. Polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription was performed to detect the expression level of PCA3, HOXC6, DLX1 and the presence of the TMPRSS2:ERG transcript. RESULTS: PCA3 was detected in urine samples in all cases. Using a PCA3 score of 56 allowed the differentiation between PCa and all other cases with a sensitivity of 61% and specificity of 96% (p < 0.001) while a PCA3 score threshold value of 50 resulted in a differentiation between clinically significant PCa (ISUP grades 2-5) and all other cases with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 93% (p < 0.001). The TMPRSS2:ERG expression in urine was detected exclusively in the group of patients with PCa and only in 16% of all cases. CONCLUSIONS: PCA3 score detected in urine demonstrated moderate sensitivity and good specificity in differentiation between PCa and non-PCa and high sensitivity and specificity in differentiation between clinically significant PCa and non-PCa.

2nd Department of Internal Medicine Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University and St Annés University Hospital Brno Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center Masaryk University and St Anne's University Hospital Brno Czech Republic

Department of Internal Medicine Faculty of Medicine Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Nutrition Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies Slovak Medical University Bratislava Slovakia; Department of General Medicine Faculty of Medicine Slovak Medical University Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Psychiatry Faculty of Medicine Luis Pasteur University Hospital Pavol Jozef Safarik University Kosice Slovakia

Department of Surgery Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University and St Annés University Hospital Brno Czech Republic

Department of Urology Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University Ukraine

Department of Urology Regional Specialist Hospital Wroclaw Poland

Faculty of Health Sciences University of Ss Cyril and Methodius in Trnava Trnava Slovakia

General and Molecular Pathophysiology Department Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine

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