Introduction: Apoptosis and proliferation of prostate cells are associated with both physiological increase and hyperplasia of the prostate. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of metabolic syndrome to the processes of apoptosis and proliferation in gland epithelial cells and prostatic stromal cells in men with BPH.
Subjects and methods: The study involved 151 men, aged 52-89 years, receiving pharmacological treatment for BPH. The men were divided into two groups: those with and those without metabolic syndrome. The serum levels of the parameters were determined. Reactions for the identification of apoptosis (TUNEL) and proliferation (PCNA) in cells were also performed.
Results: The relationships between the number of TUNEL(+) and PCNA(+) cells and metabolic syndrome were not observed. It was found that the total number of TUNEL(+) cells in the prostate stroma correlated negatively with the levels of high-density lipoprotein and insulin-like growth factor-1. The analysis of the correlations in BPH patients with and without metabolic syndrome demonstrated that the only parameter correlating with the number of PCNA(+) cells in the prostate stroma was insulin resistance.
Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome in patients with BPH had no impact on the number of TUNEL(+) and PCNA(+) cells in the prostate gland. However, the disturbed levels of metabolic parameters, and deviations of anthropometric parameters from normal may influence the number of apoptotic and proliferating cells.