Immunologic Studies on Bacterial Prostatitis

An immunofluorescence technique was used to study antibody-coated bacteria (ACB) in the urinary sediments from 40 patients with bacterial prostatitis, 20 patients with cystitis and 41 patients with urethral indwelling catheters. The immunoglobulin levels of serum and expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) were measured in urologically normal men and patients with prostatitis.The results obtained were as follows:1) ACB were present in the urine from 19 of 24 patients (79.2 per cent) with acute bacterial prostatitis and 10 of 16 patients (62.5 per cent) with chronic bacterial prostatitis. ACB were not observed in the urine from 20 patients with acute or chronic cystitis.2) ACB were present in the urine from 10 of 41 patients (24.4 per cent) with urethral indwelling catheters, 9 of 35 male patients (25.7 per cent) and 1 of 6 female patients (16.7 per cent).3) The class of antibody complexed with the bacteria in urine was determined in 25 of the immunofluorescence-positive specimens from 25 patients with bacterial prostatitis. Fluorescence tests were positive for IgG in all of 25, for IgA in 12 (48 per cent) and for IgM in 6 specimens (24 per cent).4) The detection of ACB was not influenced by the bacterial species.5) There was no significant difference in the serum immunoglobulin levels between the patients with bacterial prostatitis and the patients with nonbacterial prostatitis.6) The IgG and IgM levels of EPS in the patients with bacterial prostatitis were significantly higher than in urologically normal men or patients with nonbacterial prostatitis.7) The immunoglobulin levels of EPS in the patients with bacterial prostatitis significantly decreased after chemotherapy, while those in the patients with nonbacterial prostatitis were little altered after chemotherapy.It is suggested that the ACB test and measurement of the immunoglobulin levels of EPS may be a useful method for the diagnosis and the chemotherapy of bacterial prostatitis.