W Underwood, J Wong, L Miller, P Albertsen, R Lindquist, D Kreutzer
University of Connecticut Health Center, Division Urology, Farmington, CT
Introduction
Nonbacterial Chronic Prostatitis (NBCP) is a complex disease entity with unknown etiology and pathogenesis, characterized by the presence of Iymphocytes (T and B) and macrophages in tissue and prostatic secretions.
Their role in the pathogenesis of NBCP is unknown. It is our hypothesis that NBCP is an inflammatory disease of the prostate that results from an imbalance of specific T-lymphocyte subpopulations and associated
cytokines (T1 vs. T2). Via their specific cytokine expression, these Iymphocytes regulate the function of inflammatory, immunologic and tissue cells. We believe the ratio of T2 to T1 Iymphocytes favors the T2
lymphocytes in the prostatic and pelvic microenvironments of patients with NBCP.
Methods Seminal plasma from three normals and seven NBCP patients were obtained. All the NBCP patients met the NIH criteria, and
the normal had no voiding symptoms or pain. Using commercial ELISA assays, interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interferon gamma (INF¥?) levels were quantified; the results were expressed in pg/ml with the standard error of the
mean.
Results INF?, IL-10, and the T2/T1 ratio are all elevated in NBCP patients. These results are shown in the table below.
Conclusions We conclude that the data supports our hypothesis that
cytokines can be detected in the seminal plasma of men. Furthermore, T2 cytokines, such as, IL 10 are dominate in the NBCP patients. This elevation in T2 cytokines activity may lead to voiding symptoms and pelvic pain
complex in these patients.
