Spontaneous and Prostatic Steroid Binding Protein Peptide-Induced Autoimmune Prostatitis in the Nonobese Diabetic Mouse1

Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is a poorly defined syndrome of putative autoimmune origin. To further understand its pathogenesis, we have analyzed autoimmune prostatitis in the NOD mouse, a strain genetically prone to develop different organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Spontaneous development of autoimmune prostatitis in the NOD male, defined by lymphomonuclear cell infiltration in the prostate gland, is well-established by ∼20 wk of age and is stably maintained afterward. Disease development is indistinguishable in NOD and NOR mice, but is markedly delayed in IFN-γ-deficient NOD mice. A T cell response to the prostate-specific autoantigen prostatic steroid-binding protein (PSBP) can be detected in NOD males before development of prostate infiltration, indicating lack of tolerance to this self Ag. The intraprostatic inflammatory infiltrate is characterized by Th1-type CD4+ T cells, which are able to transfer autoimmune prostatitis into NOD.SCID recipients. We characterize here experimental autoimmune prostatitis, detected by intraprostatic infiltrate and PSBP-specific T cell responses, induced in 6- to 8-wk-old NOD males by immunization with synthetic peptides corresponding to the C1 subunit of PSBP. Three PSBP peptides induce in NOD mice vigorous T and B cell responses, paralleled by a marked lymphomononuclear cell infiltration in the prostate. Two of these peptides, PSBP21–40 and PSBP61–80, correspond to immunodominant self epitopes naturally processed in NOD mice after immunization with PSBP, whereas peptide PSBP91–111 represents a cryptic epitope. These model systems address pathogenetic mechanisms in autoimmune prostatitis and will facilitate testing and mechanistic analysis of therapeutic approaches in this condition.