title: [Common TCM syndrome pattern of chronic pelvic pain syndrome relates to plasma substance p and beta endorphin].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship of the common Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome pattern of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) with the contents of substance p and beta endorphin in the plasma, and provide reference data for the clinical diagnosis, differentiation and treatment of CPPS by TCM.
  
  
  METHODS
  We observed 98 cases of CPPS, which were classified into a lower-part damp-heat invasion group (group A, n = 32), a blood stasis-induced collateral obstruction group (group B, n = 34), and a damp-heat stagnation group (group C, n = 32) according to the TCM syndrome differentiation. Another 35 normal healthy young men were enrolled as controls. We measured the contents of substance p and beta endorphin in the plasma by immunoradiometry and ELISA, and analyzed their relationship with the TCM syndrome pattern.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The contents of plasma substance p were significantly higher in groups A ([1135.76 +/- 166.45] pg/ml), B ([1 337.84 +/- 170.81] pg/ml), and C ([1 210.01 +/- 162.27] pg/ml) than in the control ([574.99 +/- 113.09] pg/ml) (all P < 0.01), while the contents of plasma beta endorphin in groups A ([212.70 +/- 29.49] pg/ml), B ([157.99 +/- 24.01] pg/ml), and C ([180.81 +/- 20.20] pg/ml) were remarkably lower than that in the control ([274.73 +/- 27.64] pg/ml) (all P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the plasma of CPPS patients, the content of substance p is significantly elevated and that of beta endorphin markedly reduced, which suggests that they may be involved in the inflammatory reaction of CPPS. The levels of plasma substance p and beta endorphin can be used as valuable reference for the TCM classification of chronic prostatitis.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zu-Long
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zi-Xue
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Men
authors.forename: Bao-Qing
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D013373:Substance P / Q000097:blood*; D013577:Syndrome; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D001615:beta-Endorphin