Abstract
BackgroundThe immune stimulating bacterium Propionibacterium acnes is a frequent colonizer of benign and malignant prostate tissue. To understand the pathogenesis of the earliest phase of this infection, we examined the P. acnes triggered immune response in cultivated prostate epithelial cells.ResultsProstate epithelial cells are triggered to secrete IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF when infected with P. acnes. The secretion of cytokines is accompanied by NFκB related upregulation of the secreted cytokines as well as several components of the TLR2-NFκB signaling pathway.ConclusionsP. acnes has potential to trigger a strong immune reaction in the prostate glandular epithelium. Upon infection of prostate via the retrograde urethral route, the induced inflammatory reaction might facilitate bacterial colonization deeper in the prostate tissue where persistent inflammation may impact the development of prostate diseases as hyperplasia and/or malignancy.
Highlights
The immune stimulating bacterium Propionibacterium acnes is a frequent colonizer of benign and malignant prostate tissue
A Gram-positive bacterium; Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) has been reported to be frequently present in various prostatic diseases and its presence has been correlated to inflammation in prostate cancer specimens [7,8,9]
We report that P. acnes induces upregulation of numerous proinflammatory substances at the mRNA level accompanied by secretion of respective soluble substances such as interleukins 6, 8 and GM-CSF
Summary
The immune stimulating bacterium Propionibacterium acnes is a frequent colonizer of benign and malignant prostate tissue. To understand the pathogenesis of the earliest phase of this infection, we examined the P. acnes triggered immune response in cultivated prostate epithelial cells. Asymptomatic histological inflammation is a common feature when prostate tissue is subjected to morphological examination. Varying degree of inflammation is present at both benign (prostatic hyperplasia) and malignant (neoplasia) conditions. A growing amount of research supports the idea that chronic prostatic inflammation contributes to gradual transition of normal epithelial cells to malignant cells [1]. A Gram-positive bacterium; Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) has been reported to be frequently present in various prostatic diseases (as reviewed in [6]) and its presence has been correlated to inflammation in prostate cancer specimens [7,8,9]
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