Korean J Urol.  2012 May;53(5):335-341.

Is High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Aging Men? Results from the Hallym Aging Study

• Choi WS
• Lee WK
• Lee SH
• Lee SK
• Cho ST
• Kim DH

Abstract

PURPOSE
The pathogenesis of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is uncertain. We investigated the potential role of inflammation in the development of LUTS, with the use of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) as an inflammatory marker, in a population-based study of aging men in Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our study used a multistage stratified design to recruit a random sample of 1,510 men aged 45 years or older in Chuncheon, Korea, in 2003. Men with urologic or neurologic diseases that could cause voiding dysfunction were excluded. Also, men with medical conditions that could affect inflammation, such as infection or the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, were excluded. LUTS were defined according to the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Various potential confounding factors were included in the analyses.
RESULTS
A total of 330 subjects were included in the final analyses. There were 155 (47.0%) with an IPSS<8 and 175 (53%) with an IPSS> or =8. The mean age of all subjects was 69.2+/-8.4 years. The mean hsCRP level of all subjects was 2.30+/-3.27 (median, 1.19) mg/l. The hsCRP levels in subjects with an IPSS> or =8 differed significantly from those in subjects with an IPSS<8. Also, IPSS, storage symptom, voiding symptom, and quality of life (QoL) scores increased as hsCRP levels increased, respectively. The hsCRP level remained an independent risk factor of LUTS (IPSS> or =8, storage symptom score> or =4, incomplete voiding, intermittency, and QoL) after adjustment for variable possible confounding factors.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that inflammatory processes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of LUTS and that hsCRP levels may indicate the severity of LUTS in aging men.

Keyword

C-reactive protein; Inflammation; Lower urinary tract symptoms

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aging
C-Reactive Protein
Humans
Inflammation
Korea
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Male
Prostate
Quality of Life
Risk Factors
C-Reactive Protein

Figure

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  FIG. 1 Linear association model analyses between high sensitivity c-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and International Prostate Symptoms Scores (A), storage symptom scores (B), voiding symptom scores (C), and quality of life (QoL) scores (D). As hsCRP levels increased, the symptoms scores increased.

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