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Intraepithelial lymphocytes in relation to NIH category IV prostatitis in autopsy prostate
Dorian Dikov1, Svitlana Bachurska2, Dimitri Staikov2
1Groupement Hospitalier De L'est Francilien, Hôpital de Jossigny, Service d'Anatomie et Histologie Pathologiques, Jossigny, France.
The Prostate
|April 29, 2015
Summary
The number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in prostate tissue can indicate inflammation. More than 1 IEL per 100 epithelial cells suggests category IV prostatitis, with higher counts correlating to inflammation severity.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Quantitative analysis of lymphocytes and epithelial cells (ECs) in the prostate is crucial for understanding prostatic diseases.
- Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) play a role in normal prostatic epithelium, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).
- The significance of IELs in relation to NIH category IV prostatitis (histologic prostatitis: HP) was investigated in autopsy prostate samples.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively analyze the number and ratio of IELs in normal prostate tissue and in relation to category IV prostatitis.
- To establish normal basal levels of prostatic IELs and identify thresholds indicative of HP.
- To explore the correlation between IEL counts and the severity and localization of HP, BPH, and PIN.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of IELs in 59 autopsy prostates using immunohistochemistry for CD3.
- Counting an average of 300-500 epithelial cells (ECs) per case to calculate IELs as mean/100 ECs.
- Evaluation of category IV prostatitis using the NIH consensus grading system for anatomical localization and grade.
Main Results:
- Normal prostates had a mean of 0.61 ± 0.34 IELs/100 ECs (≤1 IEL/100 ECs).
- Category IV prostatitis cases showed a mean of 8.53 ± 3.25 IELs/100 ECs (5-11 IELs/100 ECs).
- IEL numbers correlated significantly with HP grade and location, acute glandular inflammation, stromal lymphocytes, and BPH/PIN-associated inflammation.
Conclusions:
- The normal upper limit for CD3+ IELs in the prostate is 1 lymphocyte/100 ECs, representing prostate-associated lymphoid tissue (PALT).
- Values exceeding 5 IELs/100 ECs indicate category IV prostatitis, with severity correlating to IEL count.
- Increased IELs suggest an immune or autoimmune component in category IV prostatitis, BPH, and inflammatory PIN lesions within the prostatic tumor microenvironment.
