6. Study of Prostatic Fluid from Patients with Elevated PSA

Introduction： A large amount of prostatic fluid (PF) is obtained by the use of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) at the time of prostate biopsy to detect prostate cancer. We investigated the characteristics of PF such as its amount and the number of leukocytes. This research would be useful for building a firm foundation of cell biological and immunological study of leukocytes in PF and for further understanding of prostatitis in elderly men. Subjects and Methods： The volume of PF and the number of leukocytes in PF were measured in 50 patients suspected of having prostate cancer because of elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. The correlation between the volume of PF, the number of leukocytes per ml and total leukocyte number versus age and prostate volume, and the correlation between PSA levels versus the number of leukocytes per ml and total leukocyte number were also investigated. Results： The average patient age was 67.2 years and PF samples were obtained from 43 of 50 patients (86%). The mean ± SD PF volume, the number of leukocytes in PF, and the average total leukocyte number were 347.65 ± 305.76μl, 4.84±6.07 × 1000000/ml and 1.47±2.10 × 100000/ml, respectively. Correlation was observed only between the total leukocyte number and the volume of TZ (P=0.039). Conclusions： These data provide information for researchers of cellbiological and immunological study of leukocytes in prostatic fluid and also supply basic knowledge for understanding prostatitis in elderly men.