Distribution characteristics of leukocytes in EPS and correlation with serum PSA levels: results from a Chinese male population survey

Multi-factors including Inflammatory/Immune, Hormones, Tumor-related Proteins and Nutrition associated with Chronic Prostatitis NIH IIIa+b and IV based on FAMHES project

Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a complex disease. Fragmentary evidence suggests that factors such as infection and autoimmunity might be associated with CP. To further elucidate potential risk factors, the current study utilized the Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination Survey (FAMHES) project; where 22 inflammatory/immune markers, hormone markers, tumor-related proteins, and nutrition-related variables were investigated. We also performed baseline, regression, discriminant, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. According to NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), participants were divided into chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS, pain ≥ 4; divided into IIIa and IIIb sub-groups) and non-CPPS (pain = 0; divided into IV and normal sub-groups). Analyses revealed osteocalcin as a consistent protective factor for CP/CPPS, NIH-IIIb, and NIH-IV prostatitis. Further discriminant analysis revealed that ferritin (p = 0.002) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (p = 0.010) were significantly associated with NIH-IIIa and NIH-IV prostatitis, respectively. Moreover, ROC analysis suggested that ferritin was the most valuable independent predictor of NIH-IIIa prostatitis (AUC = 0.639, 95% CI = 0.534–0.745, p = 0.006). Together, our study revealed inflammatory/immune markers [immunoglobulin E, Complement (C3, C4), C-reactive protein, anti-streptolysin, and rheumatoid factors], hormone markers (osteocalcin, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and insulin), tumor-related proteins (carcinoembryonic and PSA), and a nutrition-related variable (ferritin) were significantly associated with CP or one of its subtypes.