Role of INFg, IL17 and IL10 producing cells in an experimental model of autoimmune prostatitis

Extensive work has been done regarding the development and characterization of rodent models of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP), models that could be considered as appropriate animal models for the human disease named Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

In the present work we analyze the role of INFy, IL10 and IL17 producing cells in autoimmune prostatitis. Prostate extract plus adjuvant was used to immunize Balb/c, NOD and NOD INFy deficient (NODINFy-/-) mice. Control groups, immunized just with adjuvant were also included.  Mice were sacrificed at day 24 after immunization and the presence of antigen specific INFy, IL10 and IL17 producing cells was evaluated by ELISA and FACS. Infiltration of the prostate gland was also analyzed by conventional histology and FACS.  No antigen specific INFy, IL10 and IL17 producing cells were observed in lymph nodes and spleen of control mice of the 3 strains tested. A high secretion of specific IL17 was observed in culture supernatants of Balb/c, NOD and NODINFy-/- mice (Balb/c: 356„b53 pg/ml; NOD: 870„b94 pg/ml; NODINFy-/-: 1678„b233 pg/ml). Specific IL10 secretion was mainly observed in culture supernatants of Balb/c and NODINFƒ×-/- mice (Balb/c: 230„b 22 pg/ml; NOD: 89„b39 pg/ml; NODINFy-/-: 150„b40 pg/ml). A significant elevated secretion of specific INFƒ× was observed in culture supernatants of NOD mice (Balb/c: 370„b25 pg/ml; NOD: 4039„b 660 pg/ml; NODINFy-/-: ND).

When histological infiltration was analyzed higher severity scores were observed in NOD prostate glands while minor infiltration was detected in Balb/c and NODINFy-/-. Prostate gland infiltration observed in NOD mice was composed mostly by CD3 cells with high proportion of CD8 and CD4 cells.