title: T-cell recognition of prostatic peptides in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A potential etiology of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is autoimmunity. We determined whether T cells from men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome would recognize peptides derived from the normal self-prostatic proteins prostate specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD4 T cells purified from peripheral blood of 31 patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and from the buffy coat preparation of 27 normal male blood donors were stimulated in vitro with a panel of immunogenic peptides from prostate specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase, and assayed for reactivity with the peptides by interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay. Intermediate resolution HLA typing was done by polymerase chain reaction. Peptides were also tested by binding assay against different class II alleles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peptide PAP(173-192) was recognized more frequently by CD4 T cells from patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome than from healthy donors. The recognition of prostate specific antigen peptides was not statistically different when comparing cases to normal male blood donors individually. Peptide reactivity was more common in patients than in normal male blood donors for any prostate specific antigen peptide or any tested peptide. All peptides showed high promiscuity on binding assays. There was no association of cases with any specific HLA class II phenotype at intermediate resolution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CD4 T cells from patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome have a higher rate of recognizing the self-prostatic proteins prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate specific antigen compared to those from normal male blood donors. Data provide further evidence to support the role of autoimmunity in some men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Urology Section, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Diana V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Kouiavskaia
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Southwood
authors.forename: Carla A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Berard
authors.forename: Elena N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Klyushnenkova
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000276:immunology*; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000135:Acid Phosphatase; C428439:prostatic acid phosphatase; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen