A retrospective cohort study on the improvement of urodynamic parameters and NIH-CPSI scores with Relin granules in BPH patients with high prostatitis-like symptom scores.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy of Relin Granules combined with conventional therapy in improving urodynamic parameters, symptom scores, and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who have high prostatitis-like symptoms.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study enrolled 132 BPH patients with a National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) total score ≥15 who were treated between January 2023 and January 2025. Among them, 44 patients received conventional therapy plus Relin Granules (4 g tid, 12 weeks), and 88 received conventional therapy alone. Conventional treatment included the α-blocker tamsulosin and, in some patients, the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride. The primary outcomes were changes in NIH-CPSI, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and urodynamic parameters.

RESULTS

After 12 weeks, the combination group showed significantly greater improvements in NIH-CPSI total score (adjusted difference -4.3, P<0.001), pain domain (-1.9, P<0.001) and quality of life domain (-1.4, P<0.001), while the urinary symptom domain did not differ significantly (P=0.056). Compared with the conventional group, the combination group had a greater reduction in IPSS total score (adjusted difference -2.1, P=0.004). No significant differences were observed in maximum flow rate (Qmax, adjusted difference 0.8 mL/s, P=0.342) or postvoid residual volume (PVR, 3.2 mL, P=0.415). The combination group showed significantly greater reductions in serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (adjusted difference -3.28 pg/mL, P<0.001) and urinary prostatic exosomal protein (PSEP) (-0.15 ng/mg, P=0.007), and a greater increase in interleukin-10 (IL-10) (1.89 pg/mL, P=0.012). Adverse event rates were similar (χ2=0.254, P=0.614).

CONCLUSION

In BPH patients with high prostatitis-like symptoms, adding Relin Granules to conventional therapy was associated with alleviation of pain, improvement in quality of life and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), potentially through anti-inflammatory mechanisms, with good safety.