Crucial role of interferon-gamma in experimental autoimmune prostatitis.
OBJECTIVE
An autoimmune etiology is proposed in some patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis since they show interferon-gamma secreting lymphocytes specific to prostate antigens in the periphery and increased interferon-gamma in seminal plasma. We investigated the involvement of interferon-gamma in an animal model of autoimmune prostatitis.


METHODS
Experimental autoimmune prostatitis was studied in the no-obese diabetic and C57Bl/6 (Harlan, Zeist, The Netherlands) susceptible mouse strains, and in the IRF-1 KO and STAT-1 KO mouse strains deficient in transcription factors involved in interferon-gamma signaling.


RESULTS
Experimental autoimmune prostatitis was characterized by prostate specific interferon-gamma secreting cells in the periphery and by T-helper 1 related cytokines in the target organ. Increased interferon-gamma and interleukin-12 were observed in the prostate of autoimmune animals while interleukin-10 and interleukin-4 were decreased and unaltered, respectively. The absence of transcription factors involved in the interferon-gamma signaling cascade, IRF-1 and STAT-1, made mice resistant to experimental autoimmune prostatitis. IRF-1 KO and STAT-1 KO mice immunized with prostate antigens did not show infiltration or alterations in the prostate. They did not have the typical prostate specific autoimmune response and showed decreased interferon-gamma, interleukin-12 and interleukin-10, and augmented interleukin-4 in the prostate.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results argue for a crucial role of interferon-gamma as a key factor in the pathogenesis of the disease. Intense research is promptly required to identify the pathogenic mechanisms underlying chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome to find a more rational therapy.
Motrich
Ruben Darío
RD
Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
van Etten
Evelyne
E
Baeke
Femke
F
Riera
Clelia Maria
CM
Mathieu
Chantal
C
Rivero
Virginia Elena
VE
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000276:immunology*
D007371:Interferon-gamma