Prostatitis versus pelvic pain syndrome: Immunologic studies

Pain and Its Treatment in Urology

“…There is evidence that immunological alterations exist, but these fi ndings did by now not lead to a conclusive hypothesis in regarding the pathogenesis of CPPS or a therapeutic approach [39,40]. A 'neurourological concept' exists [41,42].…”

Sexual dysfunction and prostatitis

“…Some investigators are skeptical of the accuracy or clinical significance of this newer National Institutes of Health (NIH) classification. Lack of a cut-off point for the degree of leukocytosis and the possible pooling in the current system of patients with an autoimmune mechanism responsible for chronic pelvic pain are cited as some of the potential pitfalls of this newest classification [12].…”

“…General supportive measures offered by most clinicians caring for the CPPS patients include sitz baths, avoidance of spicy foods, and increased or decreased sexual activity/ejaculation, as the latter has been shown to alleviate or exacerbate symptoms in various groups of patients [26,27,32]. Anti-inflammatory medications are also commonly prescribed because more publications have pointed to an autoimmune and inflammatory etiology of CPPS [13,12]. Therapy directed at relief of pain and spasm of the pelvic floor muscles has been reported through the use of biofeedback and bladder retraining as well as amitriptylline and gabapentin alone or in combination [26,27,33].…”

Prostatitis and male factor infertility: A review of the literature

“…In category-III CPPS, the presence of elevated levels of cytokines in semen, EPS, or serum is a phenomenon evidenced by several studies [47,48]. However, data are not consistent and thus a definition of specific cytokine patterns that fit into the NIH prostatitis categories is impossible.…”