Clinical Presentation of Chronic Abacterial Prostatitis Shows No Association with TAS2R38 Taster Status

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a relatively common disease and shows an association with urogenital infections. Tuft cells in general have been identified at various entry points into the body (respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract) and are seen as guardians against invading threats. Urethral tuft cells utilizing canonical taste transduction cascade to detect of microbial products and initiating reflex micturition and neurogenic inflammation as a protective mechanism in response. Impaired chemoreception of the T2R38 taste receptor predisposes individuals to upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, it is very likely that impaired chemoreception has a comparable effect on bacterial urogenital infections, whereas nonbacterial urogenital infections should remain unaffected. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of TAS2R38 receptor functionality, as measured by a taste test, on the clinical presentation of patients with chronic abacterial prostatitis type III.

From 2016 to 2025, a total of 252 patients with diagnosed CP/CPPS received a comprehensive andrological work-up including a taste test for the functionality of the TAS2R38 receptor. Complete semen analysis was performed according to WHO 2021 recommendations including the determination of inflammatory parameters in the ejaculate as well as microbiological examination of first-void urine, post-prostate massage urine and ejaculate.

The proportion of tasters was 55.95%, while nontasters accounted for 44.05%. No significant differences could be found between tasters and nontasters with CP/CPPS with regard to symptom burden measured using questionnaires, various ejaculate parameters, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and microbiological results. Only seminal elastase and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels showed a significant difference, but with higher values in the taster group, which, in view of our initial hypothesis, is more likely a statistical coincidence.

The results of our studies show that the taste status of TAS2R38 in patients with chronic abacterial prostatitis type III had no association with symptom severity, the ejaculate parameters examined, or the serum levels of PSA and CRP.