Nerve growth factor level in the prostatic fluid of patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is correlated with symptom severity and response to treatment.
OBJECTIVE
• To explore whether levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) are correlated with symptom severity in chronic prostatitis (CP) and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).


METHODS
• All patients with CP/CPPS underwent a complete history and physical examination, and were scored according to the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI). • Expressed prostatic secretion samples from 20 patients with CP/CPPS and from four asymptomatic control patients were collected and frozen, and NGF levels in EPS were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. • Patients were asked to complete NIH-CPSI questionnaires at baseline and 8 weeks after treatment and patients with at least a 25% decrease in total NIH-CPSI score from the baseline values were classified as responders to treatment.


RESULTS
• The mean (± sd) NGF levels in EPS of patients with CP/CPPS and asymptomatic control patients were 7409 (± 3788) pg/mL and 4174 (± 1349) pg/mL, respectively. The NGF level in patients with CP/CPPS correlated directly with pain severity (P= 0.014, r= 0.541). • There were no significant differences between NGF levels in EPS before and after treatment. However, successful treatment significantly decreased NGF levels in responders (P= 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
• Nerve growth factor might contribute to the pathophysiology of CP/CPPS as changes in NGF level in EPS occurred in proportion to pain severity. Therefore, these results suggest that NGF could be used as a new biomarker to evaluate the symptoms of CP/CPPS and the effects of treatment.
Watanabe
Toyohiko
T
Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan. Nabeuro@aol.com
Inoue
Miayabi
M
Sasaki
Katsumi
K
Araki
Motoo
M
Uehara
Shinya
S
Monden
Koichi
K
Saika
Takashi
T
Nasu
Yasutomo
Y
Kumon
Hiromi
H
Chancellor
Michael B
MB
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D012634:Bodily Secretions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D055909:Magnetic Field Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015363:Quinolones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D015415:Biomarkers; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010879:Piperazines; D015363:Quinolones; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; C064357:naftopidil