Endotoxins in the prostatic secretions of chronic prostatitis patients： a need for further biomarkers through the use of proteomics

Dear Sir,Dai et al.[1]must be commended on their usefulinvestigation of the clinical significance of endotoxins inthe expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) of chronic pros-tatitis (CP) patients.However,we take issue with theirconclusion.The conclusion that EPS endotoxin deter-mination is helpful in diagnostic confirmation is plausible,however,the conclusion that it is also useful in evaluat-ing the response to treatment in CP patients is not sup-ported by the findings of their study.CP may expressendotoxin,but unless we can demonstrate that there is anear linear reduction in endotoxin levels,following treat-ment of patients,one cannot make the conclusion that itwill be helpful in evaluating response to treatment.Thisis complicated by the recent doubts raised about classifi-cation systems of CP by several groups,including Nickelet al.[2].

Endotoxins in the prostatic secretions of chronic prostatitis patients: a need for further biomarkers through the use of proteomics