title: Chronic Prostatitis Affects Male Reproductive Health and Is Associated with Systemic and Local Epigenetic Inactivation of C-X-C Motif Chemokine 12 Receptor C-X-C Chemokine Receptor Type 4.
abstract: Background/Aims/Objectives: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) has detrimental effects on the quality of life including the aspect of sexual dysfunction. The aim of the study was to identify if there was an adverse effect on the male genital compartment and if there are systemic or compartment-specific local signals for epigenetic dysregulation of inflammatory factors in CP/CPPS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred five NIH IIIb CP/CPPS patients and 41 healthy men were recruited and underwent investigations of urines, semen and blood. Promoter methylation and expression of the chemokine C-X-C motif chemokine 12 and its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) (involved in the recruitment of mast cells) were analyzed in prostate epithelial cell lines and in healthy volunteers' and patients' blood, ejaculate cell pellets, and separated ejaculate fractions (sperm and seminal somatic cells).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independently from age, CP/CPPS NIH IIIb was associated with significant impairment of sperm motility, morphology and semen pH (p < 0.001). Patients older than 33 years showed significantly increased seminal interleukin-8 and serum prostate specific antigen values. In patients, the CXCR4 mRNA-expression was significantly decreased in whole blood and ejaculate cell pellets due to promoter hypermethylation. Analyses on separated fractions of sperm and seminal somatic cells revealed that sperm DNA was unaffected, whereas somatic cell DNA was differentially methylated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NIH IIIb CP/CPPS has negative effects on surrogate parameters of male fertility and is associated significantly with systemic and local epigenetic inactivation of CXCR4.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Urology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Undraga
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schagdarsurengin
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Teuchert
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hagenkötter
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nesheim
authors.forename: Temuujin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dansranjavin
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schuppe
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gies
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilatz
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: Florian M E
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wagenlehner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D063185:Epigenetic Repression; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics*; D060728:Reproductive Health; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4