[How chronic prostatitis affects plasminogen activator system].

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate how chronic prostatitis affects the expression and activity of the plasminogen activator (PA) system and relates to male infertility.

METHODS

Twenty-three normal fertile males and 80 chronic prostatitis patients (40 fertile and 40 infertile) were included in this research. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fibrin overlay method were used to estimate the total PA, and tissue PA (tPA), urokinase type PA (uPA) in semen.

RESULTS

Total PA, tPA and uPA highly expressed in normal males, but decreased in the semen of the chronic prostatitis patients of both the fertile and infertile groups. However, there was no significant difference in total PA between the fertile and infertile patients.

CONCLUSION

Chronic prostatitis reduces the secretory function and PA synthesis and secretion of the prostate, but the decrease of PA alone does not cause infertility. PA may be one of the tools for estimating the function of the prostate.