Patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome show T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 self-reactive immune responses specific to prostate and seminal antigens and diminished semen quality.

MOTRICH, RUBEN D.; BRESER, MARIA L.; MOLINA, ROSA; TISSERA, ANDREA; OLMEDO, JOSE J; RIVERO, VIRGINIA E.

BJU INTERNATIONAL.

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2020

1464-4096

Objectives: To assess the presence of self-reactive immune responses to seminal and prostate antigens (PAg), biomarkers of inflammation of the male genital tract and semen quality parameters in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Subjects and methods: peripheral blood and semen samples were collected from CP/CPPS patients and age-matched healthy control volunteers. The analysis of lymphoproliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to different seminal plasma-derived and purified PAg, serum autoantibodies specific to PAg, leukocyte subpopulations and inflammatory cytokines in semen, sperm apoptosis/necrosis, and semen quality parameters were performed. Results: Significantly increased PBMC proliferative responses specific to PAg, with elevated secretion of IFNγ and IL-17, were detected in CP/CPPS patients with respect to controls. Moreover, CP/CPPS patients showed significantly increased serum IgG immune reactivity to seminal plasma proteins such as Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) than controls. Inflammation of the male genital tract was revealed by high levels of IFNγ, IL-17, IL-1β and IL-8, as well as increased counts of leukocytes, mainly CD4 T lymphocytes and macrophages, in semen. In addition, this local inflammation was associated to an overall decreased semen quality; i.e., reduced sperm concentration, motility and viability and increased levels of sperm apoptosis/necrosis were found in CP/CPPS patients with respect to controls. Conclusion: CP/CPPS patients show Th1 and Th17 immune responses specific to PAg associated to chronic inflammation of the male genital tract and reduced semen quality. These immune responses may underlie the induction and development of chronic pelvic pain and inflammation of the male genital tract, which in turn could alter the normal prostate functionality and impair semen quality.