Autoimmune prostatitis: state of the art

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Prostate diseases affect men of all ages, with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) being highly prevalent, especially in younger men.
• CP/CPPS etiology remains largely unknown, but autoimmune responses targeting prostate antigens are implicated in a significant patient subset.
• Understanding CP/CPPS is crucial due to its prevalence and impact on urologic health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current knowledge on rodent models of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP).
• To summarize immunological alterations observed in CP/CPPS patients.
• To discuss the utility of EAP models in studying human CP/CPPS.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on rodent models of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP).
• Analysis of immunological findings in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).
• Comparison of EAP models with human disease characteristics.

Main Results:

• Tolerance to prostate antigens can be broken in specific rat and mouse strains, eliciting cellular and humoral immune responses.
• A Th1 immune response pattern is typically observed, with cellular infiltration driving prostate lesions.
• Genetic background and hormonal factors may predispose young males to autoimmune prostatitis, which can also occur spontaneously in older susceptible strains.

Conclusions:

• Rodent models of EAP provide valuable insights into the autoimmune mechanisms underlying CP/CPPS.
• Immune cell infiltration and Th1 responses are key pathogenic features.
• EAP models serve as relevant tools for investigating human prostate autoimmune diseases.