Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic inflammatory pathology on the angiogenic activity in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Besides the presence of a relationship between serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) values and microvessel density (mvd), the intensity and extent (widespread or focal) of tissue PSA expression was also examined. The distribution of 30 cases according to the diagnosis groups was as follows: group 1, nine cases with prostatic adenocarcinoma; group 2, 10 cases with BPH and chronic prostatitis; group 3, 11 cases with BPH. The biopsy materials obtained by tru-cut biopsy (five cases) and transurethral resection (25 cases) were evaluated retrospectively. The evaluation of angiogenesis was made by CD34 immune marker, while the analysis of immunohistochemical tissue PSA expression was verified by PSA immune marker. Serum PSA levels and other clinical parameters were obtained from the clinical files of the patients. The mean age of the patients was 68 +/- 3 years (range, 48-83 years). The difference between the mean mvd values of the groups was statistically significant (chi2 = 10.492, p = 0.005). Group 1 showed higher mean mvd value than the other two groups. Although group 2 showed higher mean mvd value than group 3, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.863). There was no correlation between the mean mvd and serum PSA levels in any group. The intensity of PSA expression in prostate specimens was different in all groups. Maximum cases in group 3 showed high tissue PSA expression (chi2 = 12.442, p = 0.014). In group 1, there was a significant relationship between the intensity of PSA expression and the mean mvd (U = 1, p = 0.032). In group 2, a statistically significant correlation was noted between the mean serum PSA levels and the widespread occurrence of PSA expression (U = 0, p = 0.017). In the present study, we determined that chronic prostatitis had no effect on mvd in BPH cases. The correlation between tissue PSA expression and mvd was contradictory to the reports in the literature. Analyses in larger series are needed to prove the presence of a probable effect of chronic prostatitis on angiogenesis.