Expressed Prostatic Secretion (EPS) Leukocyte Count Does Not Correlate With CPSI Score

[Arnon Krongrad, MD]

The number of inflammatory white blood cells, a.k.a. leukocytes, present in mechanically expressed prostate secretion is sometimes taken as a measure of the presence and/or severity of clinical prostatitis. It is also sometimes taken as a measure of response to treatment, such as antibiotics. 

A new study involving over a thousand men living in Guangxi province has now shown that, in fact, EPS leukocyte count has no linear correlation with prostatitis symptoms as measure by the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI).

 

The investigators suggest that EPS leukocyte count is not a diagnostic test and not a suitable measure of treatement response.

[Hunter G]

This is interesting but very confusing to me. I thought wbc's were indicative of infection or inflammation. It seems like the more we learn about prostatitis the less we know. I've read that 5 HPF or less is generally considered to be a normal Leukocyte count but that it also depends on the person.

[Arnon Krongrad, MD]

WBCs are not an indication of inflammation. They are the definition of inflammation. This is why WBCs are commonly called inflammatory cells.

 

The question is this: what does inflammation have to do with symptoms? In other words, are symptoms caused by inflammation or something else? This study demonstrates that, as measured by EPS, pain is not correlated with inflammation. In other words, EPS is either the wrong measure of inflammation or the pain is from a non-inflammatory cause.