Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39352630›Full record

ArticleJournal of endocrinological investigation2025

Measurement of PDE5 concentration in human serum: proof-of-concept and validation of methodology in control and prostate cancer patients.

Giovanni Luca Gravina, Eugenia Guida, Maria Dri, Renato Massoud, Savino M Di Stasi, Giorgio Fucci, Andrea Sansone, Susanna Dolci, Emmanuele A Jannini

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Erectile Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress: A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Giovanni Luca GravinaDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Eugenia GuidaDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Maria DriDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Renato MassoudDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Savino M Di StasiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Giorgio FucciDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Andrea SansoneChair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Tower E south, Room E 413, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, 00133, Italy.
Susanna DolciDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Emmanuele A JanniniDepartment of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. eajannini@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5874-039X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe aimed to investigate if the type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5), an enzyme with cardinal biological functions in sexual and cardiovascular health, can be detected and quantited in human serum.

methodsBlood samples were collected from control male and female subjects. PDE5 levels were measured by a specific ELISA kit. ROC curves weighted for age and serum levels of PSA (male subjects), or age (female subjects) were used to identify the predictive ability in the detection of PCa. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values were determined for cut-off value determined during ROC curve analysis.

results41 control male subjects, 18 control female subjects, and 55 consecutive subjects, of which 25 were affected by benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and 30 with histologically confirmed prostate cancer (PCa), were studied. PDE5 serum levels were detectable in all subjects (range: 5 to 65 ng/ml). Analysis by MANCOVA identified a significant difference in serum PDE5 between control subjects or hyperplasia patients and PCa patients. Marginal means of serum PDE5 concentrations showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). The ROC curve demonstrated that PDE5 serum levels can predict men with or without PCa, with 0.806 AUC value (p < 0.0001). Using a 12.705 ng/ml PDE5 serum cut-off yielded sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 83.3%, 77.27%, 62.5%, and 91.1% in detecting men with histologically proven PCa, respectively.

conclusionsWe demonstrated, for the first time, that PDE5 levels can be detected in human sera and that PCa patients have significantly higher PDE5 concentration compared to BPH patients or male and female controls. While serum PDE5 level measurement may open new research avenues, the clinical relevance of PDE5 levels in PCa patients deserves further investigation.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorCyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5Prostatic HyperplasiaProstatic NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overCase-Control StudiesEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProof of Concept StudyProstate-Specific AntigenROC CurveBiomarkers, TumorCyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5PDE5A protein, humanProstate-Specific AntigenBenign prostatic hyperplasiaNovel markers of diseasePhosphodiesterase type 5Prostate cancer

Identifiers

PMID39352630
PMCPMC11729060

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.