Prospective analysis of 16S rDNA as a highly sensitive marker for bacterial presence in Peyronie's disease plaques.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have implicated an infectious agent induced pathogenesis in Peyronie's disease. To our knowledge an association with venereal diseases or other infectious diseases has not been demonstrated to date, although Peyronie's disease is an inflammatory disorder. In case of an infectious origin of the disorder bacteria or at least their fragments should occur in the plaque. We investigated prospectively the occurrence of 16S rDNA as a highly sensitive marker for the presence of bacteria in inflammatory processes.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

In 19 patients with idiopathic Peyronie's disease biopsy of the tunica albuginea was sampled. A total of 16 men with no evidence of Peyronie's disease served as the control group. In these men tissue from the tunica albuginea was obtained during penile prosthesis implantation for erectile dysfunction or during a Nesbit procedure for congenital penile curvature. Screening for bacterial DNA was performed prospectively using a polymerase chain reaction targeting bacterial 16S rDNA.

RESULTS

In the tunica albuginea specimen 16S rDNA was not detectable in patients with Peyronie's disease or in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study do not indicate an association between Peyronie's disease and bacterial infection.