Is Propionibacterium acnes a Causative Agent in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer and the second cause of death among men worldwide. Recent documents have disclosed that chronic inflammation can be a major risk factor for PCa. Based on recent studies, the presence of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) as an anaerobic gram-positive bacterium in prostate tissue can be a predisposing factor for PCa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the P. acnes presence in patients with PCa compared to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
In a descriptive study that was conducted from January 2015 to December 2016, 95 paraffin-embedded prostate tissue samples (57 PCa and 38 BPH) were evaluated. All samples were collected from the pathology unit of a hospital. DNA was extracted with an extraction kit (GeneAll, Korea) and then PCR was carried out using specific primers for P. acnes. Sequencing was performed on the PCR products to confirm the presence of P. acnes. Demographic data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software (version 21).
Out of 95 patients, 57 (60%) were patients with PCa and 38 (40%) were patients with BPH. 39 (41%) and 22 (23%) samples were P. acnes positive in cancer and BPH groups, respectively.
The results suggest that the spread of P. acnes in males with PCa may be common. This finding reflects the possible role of P. acnes in the carcinogenesis of PCa. P. acnes infection may play a relative role in the pathogenesis of PCa or it could facilitate the PCa progression.