Aims: Characterization of PSA in extracellular microvesicles (EVs) and its reactivity to commercial methods. Materials and methods: EVs derived from serum of 47 prostate cancer (PCa) patients, 27 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients and 42 healthy controls were analyzed. EVs isolation and quantification of PSA immunoreactive to total (ev-T-PSA) or free (ev-F-PSA) PSA immunoassays, were performed using commercial assays. PSA in CD81+ or CD63+ EVs was determined directly in serum by an immunocapture-ELISA (IC-ELISA). Results: Ev-T-PSA immunoreactive to Elecsys assay was detected in all samples. Median T-PSA ev/srm ratio was 2.20 % (Q1-Q3: 0.80-4.00 %), although in some samples this ratio reached 59 %. T-PSA ev/srm ratio was higher in those samples with serum T-PSA below 4 µg/L than in those exceeding that cut-off (p < 0.001). T-PSA ev/srm ratio was lower in PCa patients compared to healthy controls and BPH patients (p < 0.001). Elecsys immunoassays detected higher concentrations of ev-T-PSA and ev-F-PSA than Immulite (p < 0.001). PSA was detected by IC-ELISA more intensely in CD81+ EVs than in CD63+ EVs, and ev-T-PSA correlated with PSA+ CD63+ (p < 0.001) but not with PSA+ CD81+. Conclusion: EVs-bound PSA is another form of circulating PSA whose measurement could be easily performed in clinical laboratories by automated immunoassays.

Objetivos Evaluar los resultados de la prostatectomía radical asistida por robot (PRAR), y compararlos con los de la cirugía abierta (PRA) y laparoscópica (PRL). El interés no solo radica en los resultados oncológicos y funcionales de la serie, sino en la evaluación de la calidad de vida (QoL), la recuperación postoperatoria y la satisfacción personal de los pacientes con la intervención (PR), fundamentalmente. Métodos Se realizaron 685 PR en nuestro centro entre 2011-2018 (17,8% PRA, 22,2% PRL y 60% PRAR). Los pacientes fueron evaluados prospectivamente mediante seguimiento hasta abril de 2020, y con la realización un cuestionario múltiple a los 12 meses post-PR, que incluía ICIQ-SF, SHIM, IPSS, IQL y preguntas sobre el dolor, la recuperación postoperatoria y la satisfacción del paciente (SP). También se recogieron datos basales y postoperatorios relacionados con el paciente y el tratamiento, y se realizaron regresiones logísticas binomiales para las comparaciones 1 vs. 1 (PRA vs. PRAR y PRL vs. PRAR). Resultados Los pacientes tratados con PRAR tienen en general menos comorbilidades, menos agresividad tumoral, un requerimiento de mayor tiempo operatorio y un número mayor de márgenes quirúrgicos positivos que los pacientes tratados con PRA y PRL. Sin embargo, la PRAR supera a la PRA en: días de estancia hospitalaria (OR: 0,86; IC 95%: 0,80-0,94), disminución de hemoglobina (OR: 0,38; IC 95%: 0,30-0,47), tasas de transfusión (OR: 0,18; IC 95%: 0,09-0,34), complicaciones tempranas (p = 0,001), IQL (OR: 0,82; IC 95%: 0,69-0,98), función eréctil (OR: 0,41; IC 95%: 0,21-0,79), manejo del dolor (OR: 0,82; IC 95%: 0,75-0,89), recuperación postoperatoria (p < 0,001) y elección de un abordaje diferente (OR: 5,55; IC 95%: 3,14-9,80). La PRAR es superior a la PRL en: continencia urinaria (OR: 0,55; IC 95%: 0,37-0,82), IPSS (OR: 0,96; IC 95%: 0,93-0,98), IQL (OR: 0,76; IC 95%: 0,66-0,88), función eréctil (OR: 0,52; IC 95%: 0,29-0,93), recuperación posquirúrgica (p = 0,02 y 0,004), PS (p = 0,005; 0,002; y 0,03) y elección de un abordaje diferente (OR: 7,79; IC 95%: 4,63-13,13). Conclusiones Los hallazgos de nuestro estudio respaldan la efectividad de la PRAR sobre la PRL y/o la PRA de manera global, tanto en factores funcionales, como en la recuperación postoperatoria, la QoL y la PS. Los resultados oncológicos aún deben ser mejorados.

Background: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are relevant in prostate cancer microenvironment collaborating in tumor development. The main tumor marker used in this disease, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), does not provide information related to this tumor microenvironment. Cancer cells secrete exosomes carrying bioactive molecules contributing to MDSCs recruitment and induction. The aim of this study was to characterize the perioperative changes of exosomal cytokines relevant in MDSCs recruitment induced by prostatectomy in prostate cancer patients. Methods: Blood was drawn from 26 early-stage prostate cancer patients before and after radical prostatectomy and from 16 healthy volunteers. Serum exosomes were separated by precipitation. Cytokines related with MDSC cell recruitment and activation CCL2, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL8, CXCL12, MIF, S100A9 and TGF-ß were measured in serum and serum-derived exosomes using immunometric assays. Results: All cytokines were detected both in serum and exosomes, except for CXCL12, which was detected only in serum. Exosomes were enriched specially in MIF, TGF-ß and CXCL2. Presurgical MIF levels in exosomes correlated negatively with serum PSA. Also, presurgical TGF-ß decreased both in serum and exosomes as Gleason score rises. Patient¿ presurgical exosomes had increased CCL2, CXCL5 and TGF-ß levels than exosomes from healthy controls. These differences were not observed when cytokines were analyzed in serum, except for TGF-ß. Cytokine ...

Aims To identify the definition for urinary continence (UC) after radical prostatectomy (RP) which reflects best patients' perception of quality of life (QoL). Methods Continence was prospectively assessed in 634 patients, 12 months after RP using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short-Form (ICIQ-SF) and the number of pads employed in a 24-hour period (pad usage). We used the one-way ANOVA technique with posthoc pairwise comparisons according to Scheffe's method (homogeneous subsets) for assessing the degree of QoL deficit related to urinary incontinence (UI). Results The continence prevalence is 64.4%, 74.1%, 88.3%, and 35.8% using "0 pads," "1 safety pad," "1 pad," and "ICIQ score 0" definitions, respectively. Pad usage is moderately strongly associated with ICIQ 1, 2, and 3 (rho = 0.744, 0.677, and 0.711, respectively; p < 0.001). Concordance between classical UC definitions is acceptable between "0 pads-ICIQ score 0" (K = 0.466), but poor for "1 safety pad" and "1 pad" (K = 0.326 and 0.137, respectively). Patients with "0 pad usage" have better QoL related to urine leakage than patients with "1 safety pad" or "1 pad" (1.41 vs. 2.44 and 3.11, respectively; p < 0.05). There were no significant differences found regarding QoL between patients with ICIQ score 0 and ICIQ score 2 (1.01 vs. 1.63; p = 0.63). Conclusions Pad usage and the ICIQ-SF's answers provide useful information. We propose a combined definition (0 pads and ICIQ score <= 2) as it is the definition with the least impact on daily QoL.

Introduction: Due to the absence of specific instruments to study the psychosocial sphere of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), the objective of this study is to develop a satisfaction questionnaire regarding the SWL treatment from a health questionnaire which was already designed and had been previously validated. Material and methods: The design of the satisfaction questionnaire was carried out in 5 phases, based on a previously validated health scale in patients treated with SWL (ESPTL), including a total cohort of 135 patients treated at our center who received a phone interview. Phase 1: descriptive analysis of the series and scores of the 8 items of ESPTL. Phase 2: U-Mann Whitney comparison of ESPTL based on the patients' sex. Phase 3: study of ESPTL correlation with age using Spearman's Rho. Phase 4: grouping by factors of ESPTL, comparison by sex and correlation with age, as performed in phases 2 and 3 with the global score. Phase 5: obtaining the satisfaction subscate -SATISLIT-, descriptive analysis, comparison according to sex, correlation with age and linear regression model of SATISLIT with respect to ESPTL. Results: 135 patients, 85(63%) men, 50(37%) women. Median (minimum-maximum) age 56 (27-79) and ESPTL score 31 (8-39). Differences in global ESPTL score between men and women (p <.001), as well as in items 1 (p =.029), 3 (p =.002), 6 (p =.006), 7 (p =.005) and 8 (p =.025). Non-significant correlation of ESPTL regarding age. Significant correlation in items 2, 4, 5 and 8 but, very weak (<0.2). 4 factors, each one with 2 items, with statistically significant differences regarding sex in F2 (p =.001), F3 (p =.007) and F4 (p =.001). Significant correlation with age only in F1 and F3, but very weak (<0.2). Median (minimum-maximum) SATISLIT 18 (4-20). Statistically significant differences regarding patients' sex (p =.001). Non- significant correlation with age (p =.836). Significant linear regression of SATISLIT with respect to ESPTL (p <.001). Conclusions: Based on validated health questionnaire, the present work has provided a new instrument called SATISLIT for assessing patients' satisfaction after treatment with SWL. Future studies with external and temporal validation will be necessary to contrast its real clinical usefulness.

OBJECTIVES: Studying the psychosocial sphere of patients who undergo any treatment allows to have more information about its repercussion and can help the choice of an appropriate and personalized treatment. Due to the absence of specific instruments at present, the objective is to design and validate a health questionnaire regarding the treatment received with ESWL. METHODS: It was carried out in 6 phases using a sample of 50 patients treated with ESWL in 2015 in our center, whom we interviewed by telephone. In phase 1 the items were proposed based on bibliographic review, in phase 2 those that scored below 7 were eliminated according to the evaluation from 0 to 10 on the items made by specialists. In phase 3, values of 1 to 5 were assigned to each item and those with corrected correlation more than 0.2 and not significant (p>0.05) discriminant power with U-Mann Whitney were eliminated. In phase 4 the reliability of the questionnaire was checked with two indexes (Cronbach's alpha and two Guttman's halves). In phase 5, the factor analysis with Varimax rotation was performed to calculate the construct validity and in stage 6, the scores were analyzed to establish reference values. RESULTS: 50 patients (32 men, 18 women). Median age 59 years (27-79), In phase 1, 35 items were proposed, 9 of which were eliminated in phase 2. The initial questionnaire with 26 items was distributed, with 18 being eliminated in phase 3. The final questionnaire was formed with 8 items. In phase 4 the results of Cronbach's alpha and Guttman's two halves index were 0.44 and 0.323 respectively. In phase 5 after factor analysis, we found 4 factors with 2 items each (background, impact of the acute picture, post-treatment, quality of life) able to explain 71.19% of the variance. The median scores of the scale, extreme values and quartiles studied in phase 6 were respectively: P50: 17 (minimum-maximum 9-25), P25: 14 and P75: 20. CONCLUSIONS: The study carried out has provided a new instrument for assessing satisfaction after treatment with ESWL with adequate reliability and validity values. Future studies will be necessary to contrast its true clinical usefulness.

Prostate cancer is a health problem in many Countries worldwide. Understanding the essential function of androgens in the prostate physiology led to the development of hormonal blockade as a therapeutic option in advanced disease, with limited response with time and development of resistance. In this stage, where castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is defined, it is associated with poor prognosis because survival varies between 18 and 24 months. Even with castration levels, tumors are dependent on the functional androgen receptor (AR). In this paper, we analyze pretreatment clinical parameters such as prognostic or progression-predictive biomarkers, castration resistance mechanisms, the development of new technologies for the use of the so called liquid biopsies from biological fluids and the identification of circulating tumor cells as CRPC response and progression biomarkers. Currently ongoing clinical trials are partially oriented to the search of new prognostic and predictive biomarkers, that will enable to open up precision medicine and so to improve oncologicol patient's quality of life with it.

We review the role of immunotherapy in castration resistant prostate cancer. Two immunotherapeutic strategies have been applied, isolated or in combination, either with each other or with other agents with demonstrated efficacy in this scenario that would play a role as immunomodulators: vaccines or monoclonal antibodies aimed to block immune response checkpoint inhibitors. Although CRPC presents, a priori, characteristics suggesting that immunotherapy may play a relevant role as a therapeutic strategy, its clinical application has demonstrated a limited and heterogeneous activity, in terms of proportion of responders and response intensity. Generally, the objective response rate is very low, although, in patients who have response it is possible to detect a clear, long-lasting benefit. Only the autologous vaccine Sipuleucel T has demonstrated an overall survival increase in patients with good prognosis criteria. In these treatments, it is characteristic that no progression free survival increase is visible due to its action mechanism. PSA evolution may not be considered a surrogate variable of radiological response or clinical benefit in this environment either. It is necessary to identify what patient's or tumor's characteristics are able to maximize the response. An important limitation is the absence of response predictive biomarkers that serve for patient preselection. As a general rule, the best responses with isolated immunotherapeutic treatments have been observed in patients with low tumor load, which may suggest that their optimal application could be in earlier phases of the disease (high risk localized, biochemical failure, etc) Combination strategy, without doubt the one with best future, is based on additional treatments increasing cell lysis with the subsequent antigen exposure and/ or producing an immunomodulatory effect that can surmount tumor induced immunologic tolerance. The results obtained suggest that immunotherapy may be more effective in combined therapy with other active therapies (abiraterone, enzalutamide, Radium 223, docetaxel) in a fight to achieve disease chronification.