[Immunologic studies for the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Immunology
• Andrology

Context:

• Prostatitis diagnosis remains challenging, often relying on clinical symptoms and less specific laboratory markers.
• The Antibody-Coating-Test (ABC) offers a potential method for detecting localized immune responses in the prostate.
• Previous research suggested correlations between inflammatory markers and prostatitis, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the Antibody-Coating-Test (ABC) in semen and prostate aspiration biopsies for diagnosing prostatitis.
• To compare the diagnostic performance of IgA, IgG, and IgM-specific ABC in ejaculates.
• To investigate the correlation between ABC results and the levels of complement (C3) and coeruloplasmin in ejaculates.

Summary:

• A prospective study involved 143 patients with prostatitis symptoms and 15 healthy controls.
• Positive Antibody-Coating-Test (ABC) results were observed in 98/143 patients with prostatitis, with IgA-specific ABC being the most frequent.
• Prostate aspiration biopsies also showed positive ABC results, while controls were consistently negative.
• Contrary to existing literature, elevated levels of complement (C3) and coeruloplasmin in ejaculate did not correlate with positive ABC findings indicative of local prostate infection.

Impact:

• This study validates the Antibody-Coating-Test (ABC) as a potential diagnostic tool for prostatitis, particularly using semen analysis.
• Findings suggest that while ABC is a reliable indicator of local prostate inflammation, serum inflammatory markers like C3 and coeruloplasmin may not be directly correlated.
• Further research can refine ABC protocols for improved prostatitis detection and management.