Interleukin-8 levels in seminal plasma in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and nonspecific urethritis.
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.
Khadra
Abbas
A
Department of Clinical Development Sciences (Genitourinary Medicine), St George's, University of London, London. akhadra@sgul.ac.uk
Fletcher
Patricia
P
Luzzi
Graz
G
Shattock
Robin
R
Hay
Phillip
P
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*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016209:Interleukin-8