Presence of INFγ-secreting lymphocytes specific to prostate antigens in a group of chronic prostatitis patients

Pathogenic Consequences in Semen Quality of an Autoimmune Response against the Prostate Gland: From Animal Models to Human Disease

“…One possible explanation of such contradictory findings could be that CNBP comprises an heterogeneous group of patients and, as we and others have described (8,13,14), that the presence of autoimmune response against prostate Ags is detected only in a subset of patients with CNBP. We have also reported major abnormalities in some of the ejaculate parameters only in CNBP patients who presented signs of an autoimmune response against the prostate gland (15).…”

“…Recently, we have proposed that CNBP is a heterogeneous syndrome and that the etiology of this disease, in some cases, involves an autoimmune response against prostate components. This hypothesis is based on the fact that a significant percentage of these patients exhibited IFN-␥-secreting lymphocytes against prostate Ags such as PAP, prostate-specific Ag, and other Ags present in prostate homogenates and seminal plasma (8,13,14,30). High levels of proinflammatory cytokines and striking abnormalities in semen parameters were also described in CNBP that exhibited this autoimmune component (15).…”

“…We demonstrated the existence of IFN-␥-secreting lymphocytes that proliferate in response to known human prostate Ags such as prostate-specific Ag and prostatic cancer phosphatase (PAP) in 34% of patients with CNBP (8). Only this group of patients showed significantly elevated levels of cytokines such as IFN-␥, IL-1, and TNF-␣ in their seminal plasma, arguing for a local inflammation of noninfectious cause.…”

Effect of <i>Phellodendron chinense</i> Extract on Carrageenan- Induced Chronic Prostatitis in Rats

“…Epidemiological research of the past decade indicates prostatitis as one of the major medical healthcare problems in urology [1]. It is the most common urological condition in men under 50 years of age.…”

Effect of <i>Achyranthes bidentata</i> Blume extract on carrageenan-induced chronic prostatitis in rats

“…Epidemiological research indicates prostatitis is one of the major medical healthcare problems in urology [1]. Prostatitis has been classified into three clinical entities: (I) acute bacterial prostatitis (II) chronic bacterial prostatitis; (III) chronic prostatitis (CP)/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) [2].…”