title: Interleukin-8 levels in seminal plasma in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and nonspecific urethritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether a range of cytokines were detectable in the seminal plasma and urine of men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and nonspecific urethritis (NSU), and whether cytokine levels correlated with symptom severity in CP/CPPS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 87 men participated, 33 with CP/CPPS, 31 with NSU, and 23 controls. Interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were measured in seminal plasma and first pass urine, and the results were correlated with scores for pain, urinary symptoms and quality-of-life impact using a validated symptom index, the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seminal plasma levels of IL-8 were higher in men with CP/CPPS and NSU than in controls (P < 0.001), and the levels correlated with NIH-CPSI symptom scores in men with CP/CPPS. There were no significant differences in urinary IL-8 levels in the three groups, and no significant differences in levels of the other cytokines in either semen or urine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Semen IL-8 levels correlate with subjective symptoms in men with CP/CPPS. IL-8 might contribute to the pathophysiology of CP/CPPS and NSU, and elevated levels might be a useful marker of the condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Development Sciences (Genitourinary Medicine), St George's, University of London, London. akhadra@sgul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khadra
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Graz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luzzi
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shattock
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013577:Syndrome; D014526:Urethritis / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016209:Interleukin-8