The role of prostatic inflammation biomarkers in the diagnosis of prostate diseases

• BPH and prostate cancer are frequently associated with chronic inflammation.
• Inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of the two prostatic diseases.
• We present the most useful biological fluids biomarkers of prostatic inflammation.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are chronic conditions, which are hormone-dependent and epidemiologically associated with prostate inflammation. As a large number of studies have demonstrated, the stimulation of T-cells at the level of prostatic chronic inflammatory infiltrates is followed by stromal and epithelial cell proliferation. The aim of this review is to present the actual level of knowledge in the field of prostatic immune response and chronic inflammation, and to analyze the relationships between chronic inflammation and BPH/PCa. The most studied prostatic inflammation biomarkers detected in biological fluids are also presented, together with their potential roles in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostatic disease.