The role of macrophages in prostatic fluid in prolongation of nonbacterial prostatitis.

In a previous paper we reported an increase in the survival rate of activated macrophages in prostatic fluid (PF) and peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) from nonbacterial prostatitis (NBT) patients after addition of phosphatidylserine (PS) to the culture medium. Continuing our studies, we cultured PBMC from NBP patients with lysate of macrophages in PF from NBP patients to see if certain amount of PS within activated macrophages in PF might stimulate PBMC and increase their survival rate, since macrophages in PF from NBP patients often contain large amounts of lipid particles. These macrophages are called oval fat macrophages. PBMC from heparinized venous blood from patients with a long history of NBP were