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Urology Case Reports Sep 2023A 25 year old male presented with several weeks of fevers and testicular pain. Workup demonstrated scrotal and prostatic abscesses. Fluid from these following surgical...
A 25 year old male presented with several weeks of fevers and testicular pain. Workup demonstrated scrotal and prostatic abscesses. Fluid from these following surgical drainage revealed Blastomyces dermatitidis. He was treated with 12 months of oral anti-fungal therapy and repeat Blastomyces urine antigen was negative at follow up. While disseminated blastomycosis most commonly presents with pulmonary and cutaneous manifestations, genitourinary symptoms are rarely seen, but important to consider.
PubMed: 37455778
DOI: 10.1016/j.eucr.2023.102489 -
Zygote (Cambridge, England) Feb 2019SummarySpermatogenesis is a dynamic process that culminates in the production of mature spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules of sexually mature animals. Although... (Review)
Review
SummarySpermatogenesis is a dynamic process that culminates in the production of mature spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules of sexually mature animals. Although sperm leaving the testis are fully differentiated, they must further undergo two additional maturation steps before acquiring the capability to fertilize the egg. Such processes take place during the epididymal residency and transport in the seminal fluid during ejaculation and, after delivery into the female reproductive tract, during the journey aiming the encountering the egg in the oviduct. Throughout this trip, spermatozoa are exposed to different reproductive fluids whose molecular compositions regulate the progress towards obtaining a fertilized competent cell. This review summarizes the evidence obtained so far supporting the participation of male and female reproductive tract-derived proteins in the modulation of sperm fertilizing ability and discusses the mechanisms by which such regulation may be accomplished.
Topics: Animals; Ejaculation; Epididymis; Female; Genitalia, Female; Genitalia, Male; Humans; Male; Prostate; Proteins; Spermatozoa
PubMed: 30621800
DOI: 10.1017/S096719941800062X -
International Journal of Nanomedicine 2015Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among the Caucasian adult males in Europe and the USA. Currently available diagnostic strategies... (Review)
Review
Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among the Caucasian adult males in Europe and the USA. Currently available diagnostic strategies for patients with prostate cancer are invasive and unpleasant and have poor accuracy. Many patients have been overly or underly treated resulting in a controversy regarding the reliability of current conventional diagnostic approaches. This review discusses the state-of-the-art research in the development of novel noninvasive prostate cancer diagnostics using nanotechnology coupled with suggested diagnostic strategies for their clinical implication.
Topics: Biological Assay; Body Fluids; Humans; Male; Nanomedicine; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Neoplasms
PubMed: 26527873
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S91908 -
Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound : the... Apr 2024Canine prostatic carcinoma (PC) has incompletely defined CT features. The purpose of this multicenter retrospective case series was to assess prostatic, regional, and...
Canine prostatic carcinoma (PC) has incompletely defined CT features. The purpose of this multicenter retrospective case series was to assess prostatic, regional, and distant findings of PC. Thirty dogs were enrolled. Consistent prostatic features included postcontrast heterogeneity with hypoattenuating, nonenhancing areas (30/30), capsular distortion (29/30), prostatic urethral effacement, displacement, or invasion (28/30), precontrast heterogeneity (27/30), and mineralization (24/30) which was always within or at the margin of the hypoattenuating areas. Consistent extraprostatic features included medial iliac lymph node enlargement (20/30), internal iliac lymph node enlargement (15/30), and periprostatic fat streaking or fluid (15/29). In a minority of dogs, there was lymph node mineralization, bladder trigone invasion, ureteral dilation, ductus deferens invasion, and bony changes consistent with hypertrophic osteopathy. Strongly suspected and potential bony metastases were noted infrequently (8/26), all in vertebrae regional to the prostate. In conclusion, these findings provide guidance on the expected CT features of canine PC.
PubMed: 38687009
DOI: 10.1111/vru.13375 -
Critical Reviews in Oncology/hematology Oct 2017Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in males in Australia. Although serum prostate-specific antigen... (Review)
Review
Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in males in Australia. Although serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been the most widely used biomarker in CaP detection for decades, PSA screening has limitations such as low specificity and potential association with over-diagnosis. Current biomarkers used in the clinic are not useful for the early detection of CaP, or monitoring its progression, and have limited value in predicting response to treatment. Urine is an ideal body fluid for the detection of protein markers of CaP and is emerging as a potential source for biomarker discovery. Gene-based biomarkers in urine such as prostate cancer antigen-3 (PCA3), and genes for transmembrane protease serine-2 (TMPRSS2), and glutathione S-transferase P (GSTP1) have been developed and evaluated in the past decades. Among these biomarkers, urinary PCA3 is the only one approved by the FDA in the USA for clinical use. The study of urine microRNAs (miRNAs) is another burgeoning area for investigating biomarkers to achieve a pre-biopsy prediction of CaP to contribute to early detection. The development of mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic techniques has sparked new searches for novel protein markers for many diseases including CaP. Urinary biomarkers for CaP represent a promising alternative or an addition to traditional biomarkers. Future success in biomarker discovery will rely on collaboration between clinics and laboratories. In addition, research efforts need to be moved from biomarker discovery to validation in a large cohort or separate population of patients and translation of these findings to clinical practice. In this review, we discuss urine as a potential source for CaP biomarker discovery, summarise important genetic urine biomarkers in CaP and focus on MS-based proteomic approaches as well as other recent developments in quantitative techniques for CaP urine biomarker discovery.
Topics: Antigens, Neoplasm; Biomarkers, Tumor; Disease Progression; Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Male; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Neoplasms; Proteomics; Serine Endopeptidases
PubMed: 28917266
DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2017.08.002 -
American Journal of Translational... 2021To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of Xialiqi capsules in rats with nonbacterial prostatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of Xialiqi capsules in rats with nonbacterial prostatitis.
METHODS
A total of 90 healthy male SD rats, weighing 200-220 g, were randomly divided into a blank control group (BCG, n=30), a model group (MG, n=30), and an intervention group (IG, n=30). After establishing the model of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, IG was treated with 50 mg/kg Xialiqi capsules via gavage. The three groups received the same dose of saline via gavage for 7 consecutive days. The differences in leukocytes, phospholipid vesicle density, number of colonies, prostate mass, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), degree of inflammatory cell infiltration in the prostate fluid, serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, CD3+, CD8+ levels after intervention were compared in the three groups.
RESULTS
Compared with the BCG, the number of leukocytes and colonies in the prostate fluid of the MG was elevated, and the density of lipid vesicles was decreased, and the number of leukocytes and colonies in the prostate fluid of the MG significantly decreased and the density of lipid vesicles rebounded after the intervention of Xialiqi capsules (>0.05). Compared with the BCG, the prostate mass, ADC and the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration were elevated in the MG. There was a significant reversion of the above indices after the intervention of Xialiqi capsules (<0.05). The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in the MG were significantly higher than those in the IG, and the levels in the IG were higher than that in the BCG (<0.05). The serum levels of CD3+ and CD8+ in the MG were significantly lower than those in the IG, and the levels in the IG were lower than that in the BCG (<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Xialiqi capsules have a good intervention effect on nonbacterial prostatitis, which can significantly alleviate the immune status and reduce the level of cytokines in the serum and tissues of rats.
PubMed: 34540040
DOI: No ID Found -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2021Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have brought great momentum to the non-invasive liquid biopsy procedure for the detection, characterization, and monitoring of cancer.... (Review)
Review
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have brought great momentum to the non-invasive liquid biopsy procedure for the detection, characterization, and monitoring of cancer. Despite the common use of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) as a biomarker for prostate cancer, there is an unmet need for a more specific diagnostic tool to detect tumor progression and recurrence. Exosomes, which are EVs that are released from all cells, play a large role in physiology and pathology, including cancer. They are involved in intercellular communication, immune function, and they are present in every bodily fluid studied-making them an excellent window into how cells are operating. With liquid biopsy, EVs can be isolated and analyzed, enabling an insight into a potential therapeutic value, serving as a vehicle for drugs or nucleic acids that have anti-neoplastic effects. The current application of advanced technology also points to higher-sensitivity detection methods that are minimally invasive. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the significance of exosomes in prostate cancer and the potential diagnostic value of these EVs in disease progression.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers, Tumor; Exosomes; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Male; Prostatic Neoplasms
PubMed: 34576294
DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810131 -
Reproduction in Domestic Animals =... Aug 2019Current knowledge about the composition of the prostate fluid in healthy male dogs is limited and restricted to small case numbers. Furthermore, published data often...
Current knowledge about the composition of the prostate fluid in healthy male dogs is limited and restricted to small case numbers. Furthermore, published data often vary significantly regarding sample processing and analytical methods. Therefore, we aimed to provide data on the composition of electrolytes and minerals in the canine prostatic fluid in a larger population (n = 30 dogs/samples) and to compare these results with the existing literature. Concentrations of sodium, potassium and copper analysed in our population were most consistent with those in the literature. Different to this, concentrations of total calcium, magnesium, zinc and inorganic phosphate varied. Whereas magnesium, zinc and inorganic phosphate seemed to depend on the analysis method, total calcium concentrations differed if centrifugation was performed or not. Our results clearly indicate a need for standardization of methods for analysis of seminal plasma components.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Electrolytes; Male; Minerals; Prostate; Semen
PubMed: 31095788
DOI: 10.1111/rda.13467 -
The Prostate Nov 2020Age-dependent increase in the incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are both related to cell proliferation and survival controlled by... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Age-dependent increase in the incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are both related to cell proliferation and survival controlled by intraprostatic free testosterone (FT) concentration. Paradoxically, BPH and PCa occur as circulating testosterone levels decrease, so any possible relationship between testosterone levels and development of BPH and PCa remains obscure.
RESULTS
In BPH the enlarging prostate is exposed to high testosterone levels arriving directly from the testes at concentrations about hundredfold higher than systemic FT. This occurs because venous blood from the testes is diverted into the prostate due to the elevated hydrostatic pressure of blood in the internal spermatic veins (ISVs). Elevated pressure is caused by the destruction of one-way valves (clinically detected as varicocele), a unique phenomenon related to human erect posture. While standing, human males are ISVs vertically oriented, resulting in high intraluminal hydrostatic pressures-a phenomenon not found in quadrupeds. In this communication, we demonstrate the fluid mechanics' phenomena at the basis of varicocele leading to prostate pathology.
CONCLUSIONS
So far, varicocele has been studied mostly for its etiologic role in male infertility and, thus, for its effects on the testes. It is becoming clear that varicocele is a major etiologic factor in BPH and likely also in PCa. Restoring normal testicular venous pressure by treatment of the abnormal ISV's in varicocele has been shown to avert the flow from the prostate with the effect of reducing prostate volume, alleviating symptoms of BPH, and increasing concentrations of circulating FT.
Topics: Humans; Hydrodynamics; Hydrostatic Pressure; Male; Posture; Prostate; Prostatic Hyperplasia; Testis; Testosterone; Varicocele
PubMed: 32833288
DOI: 10.1002/pros.24051 -
Oncotarget Mar 2017The clinical and fundamental research in prostate cancer - the most common urological cancer in men - is currently entering the proteomic and genomic era. The focus has... (Review)
Review
The clinical and fundamental research in prostate cancer - the most common urological cancer in men - is currently entering the proteomic and genomic era. The focus has switched from one single marker (PSA) to panels of biomarkers (including proteins involved in ribosomal function and heat shock proteins). Novel genetic markers (such as Transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2)-ERG fusion gene mRNA) or prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3) had already entered the clinical practice, raising the question whether subsequent protein changes impact the evolution of the disease and the response to treatment. Proteomic technologies such as MALDI-MS, SELDI-MS, i-TRAQ allow a qualitative/quantitative analysis of the proteome variations, in both serum and tumor tissue. A new trend in prostate cancer research is proteomic analysis of prostasomes (prostate-specific exosomes), for the discovery of new biomarkers. This paper provides an update of novel clinical tests used in research and clinical diagnostic, as well as of potential tissue or fluid biomarkers provided by extensive proteomic research data.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Humans; Male; Neoplasm Proteins; Prostatic Neoplasms; Proteomics; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
PubMed: 28061466
DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14501