Evaluation of the cytokines interleukin 8 and epithelial neutrophil activating peptide 78 as indicators of inflammation in prostatic secretions

Objectives. Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a di sorder characterized by pelvic pain and varying degrees of inflammation exh ibited in expressed prostatic secretions (EPS). To provide objective parame ters of inflammation, we measured the cytokines interleukin 8 (IL-8) and ep ithelial neutrophil activating peptide 78 (ENA-78) in EPS of healthy men, m en with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), men with bacterial prostatitis (BP), and men with chronic prostatitis/CPPS. Methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of the EPS for IL-8 and ENA-78 were done in 63 men: control (n = 9), BPH (n = 6), BP (n = 3), inflammatory CPPS (National Institutes of Health [NIH] category IIIa) (n = 17), noninfl ammatory CPPS (NIH category IIIb) (n = 17), and asymptomatic inflammatory p rostatitis (NIH category IV) (n = II). Results. IL-8 was detectable in all patients, and ENA-78 was detectable in all except 2 patients (threshold of detection 10 pg/mL for IL-8, 15 pg/mL f or ENA-78). Mean levels of IL-8 [ENA-78] were similar in control (3010 pg/m L [423 pg/mL]), BPH (3341 pg/mL [98 pg/mL]), and IIIb (2751 pg/mL [335 pg/m L]) groups. Both cytokine levels were higher in BP (11,175 pg/mL [13,761 pg /mL]), IIIa (10,418 pg/mL [2240 pg/mL]), and IV (8571 pg/mL [1865 pg/mL]) g roups. A statistically significant difference between the control group ver sus BP, IIIa, and IV (P <0.05) groups was found for IL-8 but not for ENA-78 . Conclusions. IL-8 and ENA-78 are frequently elevated in the EPS of men with BP, CPPS IIIa, and asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis category IV. Thes e cytokines are direct mediators of leukocyte accumulation and activation a t inflammatory sites and may be responsible, in part, for the presence of i nflammatory reaction in the prostate. UROLOGY 56: 1025-1029, 2000. (C) 2000 , Elsevier Science Inc.