Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine therapies (TCMT) for prostatitis. Methods We searched Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR), China EBM/Cochrane center database (CEBM/CCD), PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Papers on Academic Conference of China (PACC), Chinese Dissertation Database Full-Text (CDDBFT), and Evidence-based Traditional Chinese Medicine Database (EBTCMD). All searches were updated on January 15, 2007. We also performed a manual search of the RCTs of TCMT for prostatitis among periodicals related to TCM, researched the related studies by correlative websites, such as “Baidu” and “Google”, gray literatures, and studies included in the references of eligible studies. At least two reviewers independently screened the studies for eligibility, evaluated the quality, and extracted the data from the eligible literatures, with a cross-check to confirm accuracy. Different views were settled by a third party. We evaluated the quality of eligible studies with the revised Jadad’s scale, and extracted valid data using data tables. Meta-analyses were performed for homogeneous studies using RevMan 4.3 software. If heterogeneity existed among the studies, descriptive analysis was conducted. The potential publication-bias was analyzed by funnel plot analysis. Results A total of 52 randomized clinical trials of TCMT for prostatitis (n=5 209) among 1 282 original studies were identified. The methodological quality ranked high in 9 RCTs (the revised scale were ≥ 4 scores), and 22 RCTS reported the methods of random sequence production. The analysis indicated some TCMT were more effective than the treatments in the controls in relieving the proatatitis patients’ pain or discomfort, paruria, impact of symptoms and NIH-chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI), improving the EPS-WBC and urine flow rate etc. Of the trials, 29 randomized clinical trials of TCMT for prostatitis that studied safety (n=2 502) were identified. The methodological quality ranked high in 8 RCTs (the revised scale were ≥ 4 scores), and 18 RCTs reported the method of random sequence production. Analysis indicated some TCMT may cause lower digestive tract symptoms when compared to the control therapies and some Chinese herbs formulas- may cause sexual disfunction. Conclusion Some TCMT may be more effective than the controls in relieving the patients’ pain or discomfort, paruria, impact of symptoms and NIH-CPSI, improving the prostatic tenderness with DRE, improving the EPS-WBC, lecithin lipophore, and urine flow rate etc. However, some TCMT of the trials included may cause lower digestive tract symptoms when compared to the controls, and some Chinese herbs formulas cause sexual disfunction. Because of the generally low methodological quality and the variations of the herbs used, the overall effects cannot be pooled for analysis. More evidence is needed to support this finding.
Objective To explore the effect of kidney transplantation on chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. Methods A total of 300 male renal transplant recipients between January 2015 and January 2017 were collected in the study. All recipients received the questionnaire survey of the National Institute of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) preoperatively and at 3 months after transplantation. The score and relevant risk factors were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 210 recipients (70.0%) completed questionnaire effectively, in whom 150 (71.4%) had preoperative and 90 (42.9%) had postoperative chronic prostatitis-like symptoms, respectively. In the 210 patients, the preoperative and postoperative pain score was 6.57±3.12 vs. 3.57±3.16 (P<0.001), voiding score was 3.71±2.38vs. 3.29±2.66 (P=0.116), quality of life score was 7.57±1.60 vs. 5.14±2.75 (P<0.001), and the total NIH-CPSI score was 17.86±3.81vs. 12.00±6.65 (P<0.001), respectively. The severity of chronic prostatitis-like symptoms was alleviated significantly after kidney transplantation. Conclusion Kidney transplantation can alleviate the chronic prostatitis-like symptoms significantly, and improve the quality of life in uremia patients.