IL-1RA VERSUS IL-1 LEVELS IN PROSTATIC FLUID FROM PROSTATITIS PATIENTS

Recent papers reported that the balance between the production of IL-1 ra and IL-I probably influences the regulation of host responses, the severity and prolongation of the inflammatory reaction in some disease s. Therefore, in our continuing investigation to clarify the significa nce of leukocytosis and its prolongation in prostatic fluid from prost atitis patients, we investigated whether low levels of IL-1ra versus I L-1 beta secreted in prostatic fluid were the cause of prolonged prost atitis, especially nonbacterial prostatitis (NBP). As a result of the present study, we concluded that a low level of IL-1ra in relation to that of IL-1 secreted in prostatic fluid is unlikely to cause prolonga tion of NBP for the following reasons: (1)IL-1 beta was detected in 5 of 10 cases (50.0%), but was slightly elevated in only 2 cases (20.0%) at 14 and 17 pg/ml; (2) the average IL-1ra level was not statisticall y low compared with that in prostatic fluid from acute bacterial prost atitis (ABP) patients who were cured promptly with antibiotics, and (3 ) in 5 cases of NBP in which IL-1 beta was detected, the average IL-1r a/IL-1 beta ratio was 118 which was comparable to or even higher than that in 3 ABP and 14 acute bacterial cystitis cases in which IL-1 beta was detected and the ratios were 40 and 88, respectively.