title: Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in patients with chronic prostatitis: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the possible relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). The rate of seropositivity for antibodies against H. pylori was determined in a cohort of subjects with CP/CPPS and prostatitis-free control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four consecutive patients with CP/CPPS and 55 randomly selected asymptomatic men were recruited to the study. Blood samples from enrolled patients and control subjects were analysed using an enzyme-linked Immulite analyser immunoglobulin G serological test for H. pylori diagnosis. Prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen level, maximum urinary flow rate, and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) score of the subjects were also determined. The results were analysed with chi-squared and Student's t test and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in age and social status between the CP/CPPS and control groups (p > 0.05). Total NIH-CPSI score was significantly higher in the CP/CPPS group. Seropositivity for antibody against H. pylori was higher in the CP/CPPS than the control group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study supports the hypothesis that H. pylori may play a role in CP/CPPS. The infection may be related to the immune response and increased cytokines in seminal plasma and/or expressed prostatic secretion. However, no study has investigated the relationship between CP/CPPS and H. pylori stool antigen positivity. This study showed that H. pylori seropositivity is high in CP/CPPS patients, but this needs to be confirmed by other studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Fatih University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. dr.omerfaruk@gmail.com
authors.forename: Omer Faruk
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Karatas
authors.forename: Cansel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turkay
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bayrak
authors.forename: Ersin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cimentepe
authors.forename: Dogan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Unal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial