title: Chronic inflammation of the prostate type IV with respect to risk of prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic inflammatory infiltrate (CII) might be involved in prostate cancer (PCA) and benign hyperplasia (BPH); however, its significance is controversial. Chronic inflammatory prostatitis type IV is the most common non cancer diagnosis in men undergoing biopsy because of suspected PCA.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate potential associations of coexistent CII and PCA in biopsy specimens after prostate assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2007 and December 2008, 415 consecutive patients who underwent prostate biopsy were retrospectively evaluated. The investigated variables included Age (years) and PSA (ug/l); moreover, CII+, glandular atrophy (GA+), glandular hyperplasia (GH+), prostate Intraepithelial neoplasm (PIN+), atypical small acinar cell proliferation (ASAP+) and PCA positive cores (P+) were evaluated as categorical and continuous (proportion of positive cores).
  
  
  METHODS
  Associations of CII+ and PCA risk were assessed by statistical methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the patient population, a biopsy core positive for PCA was detected in 34.2% of cases and the rate of high grade PCA (HGPCA: bGS ! 8) resulted 4.82%. CII+ significantly and inversely associated with a positive biopsy core P+ (P &lt; 0.0001; OR = 0.26) and HGPCA (P = 0.0005; OR = 0.05). Moreover, the associations indicated that patients with coexistent CII+ on needle biopsy were 74% less likely to have coexistent PCA than men without CII+ as well as 95% less likely to have HGPCA in the biopsy core than men without coexistent CII+. There were limits in our study which was single centre and included only one dedicated pathologist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was an inverse association of chronic inflammation of the prostate type IV and risk of PCA; moreover, HGPCA was less likely to be detected in cancers associated with coexistent CII. In prostate microenvironment, prostate chronic inflammation may be protective; however, its role in PCA carcinogenesis remains controversial and needs further research.
authors.affiliation: Urologic Clinic, University Hospitals, Ospedale Policlinico and Ospedale Civile Maggiore, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona. drporcaro@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Antonio B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Porcaro
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubilotta
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrozziello
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghimenton
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Migliorini
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zecchini Antoniolli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lacola
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Curti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavalleri
authors.forename: Romeo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pianon
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Artibani