Although benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common disease in older men, only a few predictors have been clearly identified. Recently, studies have believed that chronic prostatitis has become one of the factors of BPH. This review aims to describe the scientific evidence of the relationship between chronic prostatitis and BPH.
Materials and methods: The search of in PubMed database identified clinical and basic research experiments related to the role of inflammation in BPH.
Results: Large clinical studies have recently emphasized the relationship between chronic prostatitis and prostate volume or urinary symptoms. Microscopic studies also found that many inflammatory cells infiltrate BPH tissue. immune cells are releasing cytokine and growth factor to regulate immune responses, but evidence also suggests that they are promoting the growth of epithelial and stromal prostate cells. In addition, prostate cells themselves can secrete inflammatory mediators, which ultimately stimulate their own growth. Once the vicious cycle begins, feedback control seems to be overwhelmed and the prostate volume will gradually increase.
Conclusion: Benign prostate hyperplasia is a complex disease, but chronic prostatitis is one of the mechanisms that lead to prostate enlargement and urinary symptoms.
Robert G, Salagierski M, Schalken JA, de La Taille A. Inflammation et hyperplasie bénigne de la prostate : cause ou conséquence ? [Inflammation and benign prostatic hyperplasia: cause or consequence?]. Prog Urol. 2010 Jun;20(6):402-7. French. doi: 10.1016/j.purol.2010.03.007. Epub 2010 May 24. PMID: 20538203.
