Differential expression of immune factor between patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and the healthy volunteers

Immune mechanisms have been hypothesized to contribute to the development of CP/CPPS. In this study, we investigated the differential expression of immune factors between patients with CP/CPPS and healthy volunteers.

This study was registered in Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Healthy volunteers and patients with CP/CPPS were enrolled in this study. The inclusion criteria for patients were below: (1) aged 18-45 years old; (2) prostatitis-related syndrome longer than 3 months; (3) normal routine urine culture and negative bacterial culture in prostatic fluid. Patients were further classified into two groups: types IIIA and IIIB CP/CPPS according to the results of EPS routine test. Serum immune markers include IgA, IgM, IgG, CD4+ and CD8+.

There are total 23 CP/CPPS patients, including 12 type IIIB and 11 type IIIA. Relatively, there are 26 healthy volunteers. The serum levels of IgG were higher in CP/CPPS patients compared to healthy volunteers (1141.2 ± 204.3 vs 1031.9 ± 173.7 mg/L, p = 0.045), while the serum levels of CD8+ were lower in CP/CPPS patients compared to healthy volunteers (492.8 ± 185.6 vs 640.0 ± 246.8 cells/μL, p = 0.021). Furthermore, serum levels of IgG were higher in patients with IIIA CP/CPPS compared to those with IIIB (1244.3 ± 151.6 vs 1054.3 ± 209.3 mg/L, p = 0.023).

Differential levels of IgG and CD8+ between CPPS patients and healthy volunteers suggest a contributing role of immune mechanisms to the development of CP/CPPS; and IgG may play an important role in inflammatory CPPS. Clinical Study registration number ACTRN12613000792729.

International urology and nephrology. 2017 Dec 12 [Epub ahead of print]

Chen Ye, Guang'an Xiao, Jian Xu, Shengfei Qin, Yuhua Luo, Guanghua Chen, H Henry Lai, Tie Zhou

Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China., Department of Urology, Haining People's Hospital, QianJiang West Road, Haining City, ZheJiang Province, People's Republic of China. ., Division of Urologic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA., Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. .