Reduction of serum prostate-specific antigen levels following varicella-zoster infection and valaciclovir treatment in prostate cancer

Roy R Jurhill; Haitze van der Veen; Geert J L H van Leenders; Paul C M S Verhagen

doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2009.02.025

Reduction of serum prostate-specific antigen levels following varicella-zoster infection and valaciclovir treatment in prostate cancer

Eur Urol. 2009 Aug;56(2):392-4. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2009.02.025. Epub 2009 Feb 28.

Authors

Roy R Jurhill¹, Haitze van der Veen, Geert J L H van Leenders, Paul C M S Verhagen

Affiliation

¹ Department of Urology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

PMID: 19278776
DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2009.02.025

Abstract

We present two prostate cancer patients, including one with a castration-resistant cancer whose rising serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels showed a remarkable drop after a reactivated varicella-zoster virus infection treated with valaciclovir. In one patient, we found a temporary decrease in serum PSA lasting for at least 4 mo. In the patient with castration-resistant prostate cancer, serum PSA decreased to <0.01 microg/l and has remained undetectable since.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Acyclovir / analogs & derivatives*
Acyclovir / pharmacology
Acyclovir / therapeutic use
Aged
Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
Herpes Zoster / complications*
Herpes Zoster / drug therapy*
Humans
Male
Prostate-Specific Antigen / blood*
Prostate-Specific Antigen / drug effects
Prostatic Neoplasms / blood*
Prostatic Neoplasms / complications*
Valacyclovir
Valine / analogs & derivatives*
Valine / pharmacology
Valine / therapeutic use

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Prostate-Specific Antigen
Valine
Valacyclovir
Acyclovir