Association between interleukin-6 and lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between IL-6 in prostatic tissue/blood sample and BPH-LUTS, so as to preliminarily discover an indicator of inflammation that could show the severity of LUTS.

Patients and methods: The prostatic tissues and blood samples were collected from 56 patients who underwent transurethral plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (TUPKRP). The association between IL-6 detected on prostatic tissues/blood sample and LUTS parameters, including international prostate symptom score (IPSS), peak flow rate (Q_max) and urodynamic parameters were analyzed with SPSS version 18.0, and p-value <0.05 was chosen as the criterion for statistical significance.

Results: The TPSA and prostate volume (PV) were found to be higher in the inflammation group (p=0.021, 0.036). There was a positive association between prostate tissue inflammation and LUTS ([IPSS, storage symptoms score (SSS), voiding symptoms score (VSS), p<0.05], [Q_max, p=0.025], [obstruction, p=0.027] and [AUR, p=0.018]). The level of serum IL-6 was significantly higher in inflammatory group (p=0.008). However, no differences were observed in different degrees of inflammation (p=0.393). The level of IL-6 in prostatic tissue significantly increased with the degree of inflammation (p<0.001), and the intensity of IL-6 expression was statistically correlative with the degree of inflammation (p<0.001). The IL-6 expression in prostatic tissue was statistically relevant with IPSS (p=0.018) and SSS (p=0.012).

Conclusion: IL-6 expression in prostatic tissue is associated with storage IPSS, suggesting chronic inflammation might contribute to storage LUTS.

Keywords: Benign prostate hyperplasia; Citocinas; Cytokine; Hiperplasia prostática benigna; Inflamación; Inflammation; Interleucina-6 (il-6); Interleukin-6 (IL-6); Lower urinary tract symptoms; Síntomas del tracto urinario inferior.