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Measurement of Tactile Allodynia in a Murine Model of Bacterial Prostatitis
Published on: January 16, 2013
Prostate autoimmunity: from experimental models to clinical counterparts
Giuseppe Penna1, Benedetta Fibbi, Mario Maggi
1Intercept Pharmaceuticals, 06073 Corciano (Perugia), Italy. gpenna@interceptpharma.com
Expert Review of Clinical Immunology
|May 19, 2010
Summary
Autoimmune prostatitis research reveals insights into disease mechanisms. This review explores the autoimmune origins of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Urology
- Pathology
Background:
- Murine models confirm autoimmune prostatitis's origin and mechanisms.
- Understanding of autoantigens, T cells, and mediators in prostatic autoimmunity is growing.
- Clinical relevance of experimental autoimmune prostatitis remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for autoimmune origins of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).
- To discuss the chronic inflammatory nature of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
- To examine the role of prostate stromal cells in T cell activation and cytokine production.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on autoimmune prostatitis models.
- Analysis of studies investigating chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
- Examination of research on human prostate stromal cells' function as antigen-presenting cells.
Main Results:
- Prostate stromal cells from BPH tissue function as antigen-presenting cells.
- These cells activate CD4(+) T lymphocytes.
- Prostate stromal cells produce IL-12 and IL-23, crucial for Th1 and Th17 cell induction.
Conclusions:
- Evidence supports an autoimmune origin for CP/CPPS.
- Chronic inflammation characterizes BPH.
- Prostate stromal cells play a significant role in initiating and perpetuating prostatic autoimmune responses.
