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Daniel A Shoskes

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel A Shoskes.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Combination treatment with curcumin and quercetin of adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Familialadenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by the development of hundreds of colorectal adenomas and eventual colorectal cancer. Regression of adenomas in this syndrome occurs with the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, but these compounds can have considerable side effects. We evaluated the efficacy of the combination of diet-derived nonprescription supplements curcumin and quercetin to regress adenomas in patients with FAP. METHODS: Five FAP patients with prior colectomy (4 with retained rectum and 1 with an ileal anal pouch) received curcumin 480 mg and quercetin 20 mg orally 3 times a day. The number and size of polyps were assessed at baseline and after therapy. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine differences in the number and size of polyps. Treatment side effects and medication compliance also were evaluated. RESULTS: All 5 patients had a decreased polyp number and size from baseline after a mean of 6 months of treatment with curcumin and quercetin. The mean percent decrease in the number and size of polyps from baseline was 60.4% (P < .05) and 50.9% (P < .05), respectively. Minimal adverse side effects and no laboratory abnormalities were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of curcumin and quercetin appears to reduce the number and size of ileal and rectal adenomas in patients with FAP without appreciable toxicity. Randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

The role of nanobacteria in urologic disease.

Recent data proposing an extremely small, self-replicating agent termed "nanobacteria" has raised a great deal of controversy within the scientific community. Since these agents have been isolated within the genitourinary tract, much research has focused attention on the potential role these particles may play in the development of urologic pathology, including polycystic kidney disease, renal calculi, and chronic prostatitis. Recent clinical research targeting these agents has proven effective in treating some patients with refractory category III prostatitis (chronic pelvic pain syndrome). This article reviews the current state of nanobacteria research and explore where these particles may impact urologic disease.

Bacteria↗

Genitourinary malignancies in solid organ transplant recipients.

Malignancy is a recognized complication of transplantation. Genitourinary cancers are the second most common tumors in transplant recipients with prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma the most common. Unlike the more common skin malignancies, genitourinary tumors have a significant impact on both graft and patient survival. Surgical and radiation treatments need to consider the location of heterotopic transplants and administration of chemotherapy may need alteration in light of immunosuppression being used. The major genitourinary malignancies and their management will be reviewed in this article with emphasis on the concerns that arise in a transplant recipient.

Humans↗

Multimodal therapy for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Category III chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a syndrome rather than a specific disease and the cause can be multifactorial. In clinical practice, monotherapy often has proven ineffective. Multimodal therapy, which sequentially or simultaneously can address infection, inflammation, and neuromuscular spasm appears to have the greatest potential for symptom improvement, especially in patients with longstanding symptoms.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Anti-nanobacterial therapy for men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and prostatic stones: preliminary experience.

PURPOSE: Category III chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a common debilitating condition of unclear etiology. Patients often have prostatic calcifications but a link to symptoms is controversial. Nanobacteria are implicated in stone formation in the urinary tract and, therefore, therapy to eliminate nanobacteria and the stones that they produce might have an impact on CPPS symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 16 men with recalcitrant CPPS refractory to multiple prior therapies were treated with comET (Nanobac Life Sciences, Tampa, Florida), which consists of 500 mg tetracycline, a proprietary nutraceutical and an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid suppository daily. The National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), transrectal ultrasound, and blood and urine tests for nanobacterial antigen were performed at the start and conclusion of 3 months of therapy. One patient was lost to followup. RESULTS: Mean NIH-CPSI total score +/- SD decreased from 25.7 +/- 1.6 to 13.7 +/- 2.0 (p <0.0001). Significant improvement was seen in each subscore domain. A total of 12 patients (80%) had at least 25% improvement on NIH-CPSI and 8 (53%) had at least 50% improvement. Nanobacterial antigen or antibody was found in 60% of serum and 40% of urine samples. In 10 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound after therapy prostatic stones were decreased in size or resolved in 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy designed to eliminate nanobacteria resulted in significant improvement in the symptoms of recalcitrant CPPS in the majority of men, whether due to the treatment of stone producing nanobacteria or through some other mechanism. Prospective placebo controlled trials are warranted.

Adult↗

Ciprofloxacin or tamsulosin in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a randomized, double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in men is principally defined by pain in the pelvic region lasting more than 3 months. No cause of the disease has been established, and therapies are empirical and mostly untested. Antimicrobial agents and alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers are frequently used. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether 6-week therapy with ciprofloxacin or tamsulosin is more effective than placebo at improving symptoms in men with refractory, long-standing CP/CPPS. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind trial with a 2 x 2 factorial design comparing 6 weeks of therapy with ciprofloxacin, tamsulosin, both drugs, or placebo. SETTING: Urology outpatient clinics at 10 tertiary care medical centers in North America. PATIENTS: Patients were identified from referral-based practices of urologists. One hundred ninety-six men with a National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) score of at least 15 and a mean of 6.2 years of symptoms were enrolled. Patients had received substantial previous treatment. MEASUREMENTS: The authors evaluated NIH-CPSI total score and subscores, patient-reported global response assessment, a generic measure of quality of life, and adverse events. INTERVENTIONS: Ciprofloxacin, 500 mg twice daily; tamsulosin, 0.4 mg once daily; a combination of the 2 drugs; or placebo. RESULTS: The NIH-CPSI total score decreased modestly in all treatment groups. No statistically significant difference in the primary outcome was seen for ciprofloxacin versus no ciprofloxacin (P = 0.15) or tamsulosin versus no tamsulosin (P > 0.2). Treatments also did not differ significantly for any of the secondary outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Treatment lasting longer than 6 weeks was not tested. Patients who had received less pretreatment may have responded differently. CONCLUSION: Ciprofloxacin and tamsulosin did not substantially reduce symptoms in men with long-standing CP/CPPS who had at least moderate symptoms.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Impact of post-ejaculatory pain in men with category III chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

PURPOSE: Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) is a common debilitating condition in which ejaculation relieves symptoms for some but exacerbates them in others. We studied ejaculatory pain in a cohort with CPPS to investigate associations with symptoms, quality of life and risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 486 men in the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Cohort study were stratified into 4 subgroups according to the presence of ejaculatory pain at baseline visit and at each of 3 monthly followup contacts. Subgroups were based on answers and labeled NO (always "no"), Nvar ("no" at baseline but "yes" or missing at least once), Yvar ("yes" at baseline but "no" or missing at least once) and YES (always "yes"). Demographic and quality of life data were obtained at baseline, together with medical and sexual history, symptoms, and cultures and microscopy of urine and seminal fluids. Associations among selected baseline risk factors, symptoms and post-ejaculatory pain were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall 128 men were classified as NO, 106 as Nvar, 137 as Yvar and 115 as YES. There was a progressive increase in baseline National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total score (modified to exclude post-ejaculatory pain) from 18.5 for the NO subgroup to 25.5 for the YES subgroup (p <0.0001). Mental and physical quality of life were also progressively lower from the NO to the YES subgroup (p <0.001). There were no significant differences in white blood cell count or bacterial growth in urine, prostate fluid or semen among subgroups. Men in the YES subgroup were younger, more likely to live alone, had lower income and a greater variety of sexual practices than those without ejaculatory pain (NO subgroup). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CPPS and persistent ejaculatory pain have more severe symptoms, are less likely to improve with time, and have differences in demographic and sexual history compared to other patients with CPPS.

Adult↗

Herbal and complementary medicine in chronic prostatitis.

Chronic prostatitis is a very common and poorly understood condition with significant impact on quality of life. The etiology of prostatitis can be multifactorial and can present with a variety of symptoms. Given the lack of proven efficacy of conventional therapies such as antibiotics, many patients have turned to phytotherapy and other alternative treatments. This review will cover the alternative therapies commonly used in prostatitis with an emphasis on those with published data. These treatments include phytotherapy (quercetin, bee pollen) and physical therapy. Complementary therapies have shown the potential to help men with prostatitis, particularly when allopathic therapies have failed.

Chronic Disease↗

Long-term results of multimodal therapy for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

PURPOSE: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a prevalent and multifactorial condition. Many patients have the condition for years despite conventional therapies. We assess the outcomes of multimodal therapy in patients with long-standing chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 53 patients with chronic prostatitis treated at our clinic with a minimum followup of 6 months were assessed by the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and by a global assessment score. Treatments included antibiotics, prostatic massage, anti-inflammatory phytotherapy, alpha-blockers and neuromuscular agents. RESULTS: Mean age patient was 45 years and median symptom history was 3.5 years. Based on localizing cultures, and microscopy of urine and prostatic fluid 13% of the cases were category II, 41% were category IIIa and 46% were category IIIb. Mean followup from the last visit was 417 days (range 185 to 1,247). Mean changes +/- SE from the initial to the final score on the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index were 10.4 +/- 3.3 to 5.9 +/- 4.4 for pain, 4.2 +/- 2.9 to 2.0 +/- 2.7 for urinary, 8.2 +/- 2.9 to 4.7 +/- 3.4 for quality of life and 22.7 +/- 6.6 to 13.2 +/- 9.5 for total score (p <0.0001). Based on a global subjective assessment 43 of the patients (80%) were better, 8 were the same and 3 were worse. At final assessment 39% of the patients were on no therapy, 22% were on an alpha-blocker, 37% were on quercetin, 13% were on neuromuscular agents and 9% were on antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: An approach using stepwise therapy with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and neuromuscular agents can be successful in the majority of patients with long-standing chronic prostatitis.

Adult↗

Phytotherapy and other alternative forms of care for the patient with prostatitis.

Chronic prostatitis is a very common and poorly understood condition with significant impact on quality of life. Given the lack of proven efficacy of conventional therapies such as antibiotics, it is not surprising that patients have turned with increasing frequency to phytotherapy and other alternative treatments. Although alternative therapies are plentiful, few have been subjected to scientific scrutiny and prospective controlled clinical trials. This review discusses therapies commonly used by patients with prostatitis and focuses in detail on those with published data. These treatments include zinc, cernitin pollen extract (bee pollen), quercetin, saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and acupuncture. Complementary therapies may indeed have much to offer patients, particularly those with chronic degenerative conditions in which allopathic therapies have proven less successful. Alternative therapies, however, require the same scientific criteria for validation and acceptance as do conventional medical therapies.

Acupuncture↗

Leukocyte and bacterial counts do not correlate with severity of symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis: the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: We examine whether leukocytes and bacteria correlate with symptom severity in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All 488 men screened into the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Cohort Study before close of recruitment on August 22, 2001 were selected for analysis. The National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, including subscores, were used to measure symptoms. Urethral inflammation was defined as white blood cell (WBC) counts of 1 or more (1+) in the first voided urine. Participants were classified as category IIIa based on WBC counts of 5 or more, or 10 or more (5+, 10+) in the expressed prostatic secretion, or 1+ or 5+ either in the post-expressed prostatic secretion urine (voided urine 3) or semen. Uropathogens were classified as localizing if the designated bacterial species were absent in voided urine 1 and voided urine 2 but present in expressed prostatic secretion, voided urine 3 or semen, or present in expressed prostatic secretion, voided urine 3 or semen at 2 log concentrations higher than at voided urine 1 or 2. Associations between symptoms, and inflammation and infection were investigated using generalized Mantel-Haenszel methods. RESULTS: Of all participants 50% had urethral leukocytes and of 397 with expressed prostatic secretion samples 194 (49%) and 122 (31%) had 5+ or 10+ WBCs in expressed prostatic secretion, respectively. The prevalence of category IIIa ranged from 90% to 54%, depending on the composite set of cut points. None of the index measures were statistically different (p >0.10) for selected leukocytosis subgroups. Based on prostate and semen cultures, 37 of 488 men (8%) had at least 1 localizing uropathogen. None of the index measures were statistically different (p >0.10) for selected bacterial culture subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Although men with chronic prostatitis routinely receive anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial therapy, we found that leukocytes and bacterial counts as we defined them do not correlate with severity of symptoms. These findings suggest that factors other than leukocytes and bacteria also contribute to symptoms associated with chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Chronic Disease↗

Overview summary statement. Diagnosis and management of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Members of the Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network (CPCRN) met in a 1-day symposium to review recent findings and to debate unanswered issues in the diagnosis and management of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). The meeting was focused on producing an overview summary statement that would, as nearly as possible, represent the consensus views of the attendees. As discussed below, the participants agreed that a history, physical examination, and urinalysis/urine culture are mandatory for the evaluation of all patients presenting with CP/CPPS, with other assessments categorized as recommended or optional, depending on the history and physical findings. Observations and suggestions regarding first- and second-line therapies are also offered, with the recognition that randomized, placebo-controlled trials to guide selection of therapies for chronic nonbacterial prostatitis are currently lacking.

Biomarkers↗

Phytotherapy in chronic prostatitis.

Chronic prostatitis is a very common condition that is poorly understood and has a significant impact on quality of life. Given the lack of proven efficacy of conventional therapies, such as antibiotics, it is not surprising that patients have turned with increasing frequency to phytotherapy and other alternative treatments. Although alternative therapies are plentiful, few have been subjected to scientific scrutiny and prospective controlled clinical trials. This review will cover phytotherapies commonly used in prostatitis patients and focus in detail on those with published data. These treatments include zinc, cernilton (bee pollen), quercetin, and saw palmetto. Although many of these therapies appear promising in small preliminary studies, phytotherapy requires the same scientific criteria for validation and acceptance as do conventional medical therapies.

Chronic Disease↗

Cytokine polymorphisms in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: association with diagnosis and treatment response.

PURPOSE: The chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a common disorder of unknown etiology. Elevated cytokines in prostate fluid and semen are frequent findings. We studied genetic polymorphisms that can alter cytokine gene expression in men with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from blood from 36 men with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Reversed sequence specific oligonucleotide probing was used to genotype the polymorphisms for cytokine promoter sites, namely tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha 308, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 25, TGF-beta 10, interleukin (IL)-10 1082 and IL-6 174. Genotype frequencies were compared with 252 controls as well as among groups of patients with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome according to diagnostic category and treatment response. RESULTS: There were no differences in men with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome and control patients in the frequency of TNF-alpha, TGF-beta or IL-6 alleles, although those with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome were more likely to express the genotype associated with low IL-10 production (30.6% versus 12.1%, p = 0.007). When comparing National Institutes of Health diagnoses, category IIIa patients were more likely to have the low TNF-alpha genotype (categories II, IIIa and IIIb 33%, 100% and 18%, respectively, p = 0.04). All 11 of the 28 patients treated with the anti-inflammatory quercetin in whom treatment failed had the low TNF-alpha genotype versus 29.4% of those in whom treatment succeeded (p = 0.0003). Similarly men with quercetin treatment failure were much less likely to have the low IL-10 genotype than those with treatment success (9.1% versus 47.1%, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome are more likely to have a low IL-10 producing genotype, suggesting autoimmunity as a potential etiology. Anti-inflammatory phytotherapy failure was associated with low TNF-alpha and high IL-10 phenotypes, which may help define a subset of patients with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome without an inflammatory etiology.

Adult↗

Demographic and clinical characteristics of men with chronic prostatitis: the national institutes of health chronic prostatitis cohort study.

PURPOSE: We describe the study design of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Cohort (CPC) study characterizing men with chronic prostatitis/the chronic pelvic pain syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All 488 men screened into the CPC study before close of recruitment on August 22, 2001 were selected for analysis. The National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, including subscores, was used to measure symptoms. A comprehensive history, physical examination and demographic profile were obtained from each participant. Generalized Mantel-Haenszel procedures were used to investigate baseline associations between selected factors and symptoms. RESULTS: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a chronic syndrome affecting men over a wide age range. The majority of CPC study participants are white, well educated and affluent. However, lower education, lower income and unemployment were associated with more severe symptoms. Patients most frequently reported pain in the perineum and tenderness in the prostate. The highest self-reported diseases were genitourinary (55%), allergies (53%), neurological (40%) and hematopoietic, lymphatic or infectious (40%). This disease has a significant negative impact on mental and physical domains of quality of life. Almost all patients (95%) reported antimicrobial drug use. Of these 488 participants 280 (57%) reported the previous or current use of 5 or more categories of prostatitis related treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a multifactorial problem affecting men of all ages and demographics. Patients with the chronic pelvic pain syndrome have dismal quality of life and many have benefited only minimally from empirical, goal directed therapy. Long-term followup of this cohort may answer important questions on the natural treated history of this syndrome.

Adult↗