| AUTOIMMUNE PROSTATITIS -
T CELL RESPONSES TO SEMINAL PLASMA PROTEINS.
Mr Richard Batstone, Mr Andrew Doble and Prof Hill Gaston Cambridge University and Department of Urology, Addenbrooke's Hospital |
The cause of chronic prostatitis (a syndrome that causes pain in the area between the rectum and testicles, and disturbance of urination) is unclear.
This group has found evidence that this syndrome may be caused by an autoimmune response to the prostate. They estimate that this sort of autoimmune process may actually affect between ½ to ¾ of men who experience these symptoms.
They are continuing the project to try to isolate the protein target for this autoimmune response from the semen in order to devise diagnostic tests, and to help prove the idea that chronic prostatitis has an autoimmune cause.
This work should help doctors decide which patients, with chronic prostatitis, are likely to benefit from treatments, which suppress the body's immune system.
Research summarised by Prostate Research Campaign
UK. 01 September 2003.
Project G2001/02.