Analysis of bacterial community using pyrosequencing in semen from patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND

Although empirical antibacterial treatments are currently recommended for inflammatory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), physicians cannot verify infections in most cases. Therefore, in this study, the microbiota of semen was investigated via pyrosequencing to obtain evidence underlying infectious disease.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with CP/CPPS (n=17) and healthy volunteers (n=4) participated in the study. Whole DNA was purified from the participants' semen. The DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using universal bacterial primers. All semen samples were also cultured using conventional methods. Pyrosequencing analysis of the PCR-amplified DNA was performed.

RESULTS

None of the semen samples showed colony formation in conventional bacterial cultures. However, pyrosequencing revealed multiple bacterial genera in all samples, including an abundance of fastidious bacteria. , , , , and were frequently detected nonspecifically in both the patient and control groups. However, , , and were more frequently found in the CP/CPPS patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of various dominant species in the CP/CPPS group other than those reported in previous studies might be helpful for future etiological analysis of CP/CPPS.