Cytokines gene expression in the tunica albuginea in patients with Peyronie’s disease. Pilot study with a control group

INTRODUCTION: We decided to conduct a study to investigate the presence of cytokines in the albuginea of subjects with Peyronie's disease (PD). Cytokines, as responsible for intercellular communication, maybe involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. The identification of one or more involved cytokines may, in fact, be useful in the pharmacological treatment with biologic drugs that are able to interfere with specific cytokines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2009 and Decembre 2010 at the Clinic of Urological outpatients clinic of the Policlinico of Palermo were recruited 20 subjects with PD, mean age 62.3 years (range 51-70) and 8 subjects with congenital recurvatum penis (mean age 21.5; range 19-28), the latter used as a control group. Inclusion criteria were the criteria for operability with Nesbit corporoplasty. The albuginea specimens were used to test gene expression of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory, using Real-Time PCR. They were also subjected to histological examination after fixation by staining with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E). RESULTS: Histological examination performed on samples from both groups demonstrated the absence of inflammatory cells in all patients reviewed for the study. The analysis of the expression of genes encoding IL-4 (Interleukin-4), IL-6 (Interleukin-6), IL-13 (Interleukin-13), TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor-β1), IL-2 (Interleukin-2), IL-10 (Interleukin-10), TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor-α) and IFN-γ (Interferon-γ) showed a very low level of transcripts in all samples (in some cases undetectable). The levels of cytokine transcripts examined were lower in samples from patients with PD compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: From the results obtained, the use of biologic drugs (antibodies) againsta the cytokine does not seem to be useful in the stable phase of Peyronie's disease due to the very low concentrations of cytokines found in the tunica albuginea of the patients.