Inflammation and benign prostatic hyperplasia: clinical implications.

Prostatic inflammation may be a large contributor to hyperplastic changes in the prostate. There have been several studies looking at the varieties of growth factors and cytokines that are involved in both the inflammatory process and in the epithelial/stromal prostatic cells interactions. We reviewed the recent international literature using a PubMed search to analyze new findings supporting a role for inflammation in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) progression. This article reviews the factors that lead to both intrinsic and extrinsic causes of prostatic inflammation. There are several exciting studies supporting that inflammation can promote chronic prostatic diseases, such as BPH.