Interleukin 8 and anti-chlamydia trachomatis mucosal IgA as urogenital immunologic markers in patients with C. trachomatis prostatic infection.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluates the role of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and anti-Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) immunoglobulin A (IgA) in total ejaculate (TE) of patients affected by chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) as potential markers in prostatic CT infection.


METHODS
Seventy-eight consecutive patients with a diagnosis of CP/CPPS and CT infection were enrolled; 20 healthy volunteers represented the control group. All subjects underwent microbiologic analysis for common bacteria, yeasts, and viruses in TE, expressed prostatic secretion, and urine samples and molecular analysis for CT identification, anti-CT species-specific IgA, and IL-8 levels. Questionnaires regarding symptoms were given to each subject to determine correlations between clinical and laboratory data.


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients were positive for CT plasmid DNA, but none of the controls were positive. Mucosal IgA was detected in 69.2% of patients and significant levels of IL-8 were detected in 75.6% of them. Significant correlations between IL-8 and mucosal IgA (p<0.001) and between IL-8 levels and symptom score results (p<0.001) were found. IL-8 values strongly correlated with CP/CPPS (p<0.001). Moreover, the patients with higher levels of IL-8 and higher positivity for IgA reported the worst symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results clearly highlight the role of immune system activation in the pathophysiology of CP/CPPS and that seminal IL-8 and mucosal IgA levels specific to CT antigens appear to be the best immunologic markers of chronic chlamydial prostatitis status.
Mazzoli
Sandra
S
STDs Centre, Santa Maria Annunziata Hospital, Florence, Italy.
Cai
Tommaso
T
Rupealta
Valentina
V
Gavazzi
Andrea
A
Castricchi Pagliai
Roberto
R
Mondaini
Nicola
N
Bartoletti
Riccardo
R
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000382:microbiology; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D016209:Interleukin-8