OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-8 in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of chronic prostatitis (CP).

METHODS

Twenty-nine different types of CP patients with complaints of low urinary duct symptom were selected at random, and the diagnosis of CP was established by inquiry of the history of prostatic disease, digital rectal examination of the prostate, and analysis of express prostatic secretions (EPS) for leukocytes. Bacterial infection of the prostate was detected by pre- and post-message test (PPMT) in some of the inflammatory CP patients. Quantitative evaluation of IL-10 and IL-8 levels in the limited voided bladder 3 (VB3) was performed by ELISA methods. Eleven healthy men without CP were chosen as control.

RESULTS

The level of IL-10 [(47.1 +/- 4.5) pg/ml] in VB3 in 8 patients with apparent clinical symptoms was significantly higher than in the 11 infertile males [(40.8 +/- 5.7) pg/ml] and the 21 patients with both infertility and asymptomatory inflammatory prostatitis (CP type IV) [(42.7 +/- 6.7) pg/ml], P < 0.05. The levels of IL-8 in the 8 patients with apparent clinical symptoms [(1386.2 +/- 852.6) pg/ml] and in the 13 patients with both infertility and asymptomatory inflammatory prostatitis (CP type IV) [(1203.8 +/- 807.8) pg/ml] were significantly higher than in the 7 healthy males [(412.1 +/- 217.2) pg/ml], P < 0.05.

CONCLUSION

IL-10 and IL-8 had a very important role in etiology of CP, and could be detected in VB3 as well as in routine semen and EPS.