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Updated: Oct 30, 2025
Measurement of Tactile Allodynia in a Murine Model of Bacterial Prostatitis
Published on: January 16, 2013
Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 as adjuvant therapy in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis: a non-blinded,
Celeste Manfredi1, Francesco P Calace2, Ferdinando Fusco1
1Urology Unit, Department of Woman Child and of General and Specialist Surgery, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via S. Pansini 5, Naples, 80131, Italy.
Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) in association with levofloxacin in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP).
Methods:
Patients with CBP referred to our clinic from September 2017 to July 2019 were enrolled. At baseline, the symptomatology was assessed with the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), while the Meares-Stamey test was used to diagnose the infection. Patients were randomized (1:1) in two groups (A and B). All subjects underwent oral administration of Levoxacin® 500 mg once daily for 4 weeks. Only the patients in Group B underwent oral administration of EcN® 320 mg, twice daily for 4 weeks and then once daily for 8 weeks. After 3 months, each patient repeated the NIH-CPSI questionnaire, while the Meares-Stamey test was repeated at 3 and 6 months in patients who reported persistent symptoms. All adverse events (AEs) were recorded.
Results:
A total of 110 patients were enrolled. After 3 months patients in Group B reported a significantly lower NIH-CPSI score (5.85 ± 3.07 vs. 7.64 ± 3.86; p = 0.009) and biological recurrences rate (9.8 vs. 26.9%; p = 0.043). At 6 months the biological recurrences rate was significantly lower in Group B (8.7 vs. 28.9%; p = 0.038). Only three patients in Group A and six in Group B (p = 0.25) complained mild AEs.
Conclusions:
Combination therapy with EcN and levofloxacin allows a better control of symptoms and biological recurrences in patients with CBP, without worsening the safety of the treatment.
