Chronic bacterial prostatitis and irritable bowel syndrome：effectiveness of treatment with rifaximin followed by the probiotic VSL#3

摘要

This study was undertaken to evaluate the inlfuence of treatment with rifaximin followed by the probiotic VSL#3 versus no treatment on the progression of chronic prostatitis toward chronic microbial prostate?vesiculitis(PV) or prostate?vesiculo?epididymitis(PVE). Atotal of 106 selected infertile male patients with bacteriologically cured chronic bacterial prostatitis(CBP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were randomly prescribed rifaximin(200mg, 2 tablets bid, for 7days monthly for 12months) and probiotic containing multiple strains VSL#3(450×109 CFU per day) or no treatment. Ninety?ifve of them(89.6%) complied with the therapeutic plan and were included in this study. GroupA = “6Tx/6?”: treatment for the initial 6 and no treatment for the following 6months(n=26); GroupB = “12Tx”: 12months of treatment(n=22); GroupC = “6?/6Tx”: no treatment for the initial 6months and treatment in the last 6months(n=23); GroupD = “12?”: no treatment(n=24). The patients of GroupsA = “6Tx/6?” and B= “12Tx” had the highest frequency of chronic prostatitis(88.5% and 86.4%, respectively). In contrast, group “12?”: patients had the lowest frequency of prostatitis(33.4%). The progression of prostatitis into PV in groups “6Tx/6?”(15.5%) and “6?/6Tx”(13.6%) was lower than that found in the patients of group “12?”(45.8%). Finally, no patient of groups “6Tx/6?” and “6?/6Tx” had PVE, whereas it was diagnosed in 20.8% of group “12?” patients. Long?term treatment with rifaximin and the probiotic VSL#3 is effective in lowering the progression of prostatitis into more complicated forms of male accessory gland infections in infertile patients with bacteriologically cured CBP plus IBS.