Prostatic Stones: Evidence of a Specific Chemistry Related to Infection and Presence of Bacterial Imprints

Abstract

Prostatic stones are a common condition in older men in industrialized countries. However, aging appears not to be the unique pathogenesis of these calcifications. Our morpho-constitutional investigation of 23 stone samples suggested that infection has a significant role in the lithogenic process of prostate calcifications, even without detection of infection by clinical investigation. Most stones (83%) showed bacterial imprints and/or chemical composition, suggestive of a long-term infection process. Chronic infection may induce persistent inflammation of the tissue and secondarily, a cancerization process within a few years. Thus, the discovery of prostate calcifications by computerized tomodensitometry, for example, might warrant further investigation and management to search for chronic infection of the prostate gland.

Therapy modifies cystine kidney stones at the macroscopic scale. Do such alterations exist at the mesoscopic and nanometre scale?

“…Regarding ethics, we follow the usual procedures Dessombz et al, 2012). All participants (adults or parents of children participating in the study) gave their verbal consent, documented by the researchers, for use of the material.…”

Computer-Assisted Quantitative Assessment of Prostatic Calcifications in Patients with Chronic Prostatitis

“…The composition of prostate stones is different, as calcium oxalate monohydrate and dihydrate, brushite, whitlockite, octocalcium phosphate, and amorphous calcium phosphate have been reported [10, 11]. However, the use of more reliable methods, such as infrared spectroscopy, has shown that the more characteristic phase of prostate stones is carbapatite that is commonly associated with the presence of infection and alkaline urine [12]. On the other hand, Scanning Electron Microscope has demonstrated a high frequency of bacterial imprints in prostate stones [12].…”

“…However, the use of more reliable methods, such as infrared spectroscopy, has shown that the more characteristic phase of prostate stones is carbapatite that is commonly associated with the presence of infection and alkaline urine [12]. On the other hand, Scanning Electron Microscope has demonstrated a high frequency of bacterial imprints in prostate stones [12]. Lastly, the chemical analysis of prostate fluid composition had shown that the concentration of citrates decreases dramatically in the presence of infection [13-15].…”

Clinical and Biochemical Influence of Prostatic Stones

“…Recently published studies showed that acute phase proteins predominated in the structure of prostatic stones [25,26] . In addition, bacterial biofilm was found in the prostatic stones and high frequency of bacterial imprints was found in these stones by electron microscopy scanning [27][28][29] . Results of the study by Kim et al [4] support these findings, since they showed that prostatic stones could be influenced by antimicrobial therapy in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis.…”