The prostate gland is one of the main organs of the male genitourinary system. To determine what condition it is in and whether it works correctly, a laboratory study of prostate secretion is carried out. How is this analysis done and what is its peculiarity? The reader will receive all answers to questions of interest right now.
Prostate Juice
What is it - the secret of the prostate, what does this term mean? This is a biological fluid that appears during the work of the prostate. The secretion of the gland makes up the bulk of the male seed. The main purpose of prostate juice is to ensure the normal fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. If the chemical composition of the secret does not correspond to normal indicators, a man can be diagnosed with infertility.
Prostate juice is a third of the total volume of ejaculated sperm. Due to its presence in the seminal fluid, spermatozoa are able to actively move. Satisfactory fertilitymale germ cells are preserved only with a he althy composition of the secret. Spermatozoa can lose their activity against the background of an inflammatory process in the prostate gland, so conception does not occur.
Composition of biological fluid
To get an objective assessment of the he alth of the reproductive system in a man, he will have to pass an analysis of prostate secretion. How this study is done, we will consider in one of the following sections, but for now we will pay attention to the chemical composition of prostate juice.
Water makes up almost 95% of its volume. The rest is s alts of various microelements. Most of the secret contains:
- calcium;
- sodium;
- potassium;
- citrates;
- phosphates;
- bicarbonates;
- protein enzymes.
Also in the fluid of the prostate there are leukocytes, lecithin grains, lipoids, amyloids. Their quantitative load is a direct indicator of sperm functionality. Particular attention in the study of prostate secretion is given to the identification of crystals of lecithin and cholesterol. If male infertility is suspected, the gland juice is studied for the degree of acidity and zinc ionization.
What the analysis says
To conduct a study of prostate juice, 1.5-2 ml of biological fluid is required - this is quite enough to study the substance under a microscope in a specialized laboratory. Many men underestimate the importance of such an examination because they do not knowwhich shows the secret of the prostate. Unlike ultrasound and other research methods, the passage of this analysis has the main advantage: it allows you to diagnose pathologies of the genitourinary system at an early stage, that is, long before the first symptoms of the disease and changes in the structure of the organ appear.
To make an accurate diagnosis, one cannot do without laboratory diagnostics, which involves studying the composition of the prostate secretion. The results of the study are a confirmation of such various pathologies of the prostate gland, including prostatitis, gland hyperplasia, malignant tumors, infectious diseases of the genitourinary system.
In addition, the analysis can answer the question about the causes of male infertility. The thing is that infertility can occur in different forms, which depends on the number of spermatozoa, their mobility, structure. As already noted, the motor activity of male germ cells depends on the composition of the prostate juice. If there are violations in the composition of this biological fluid, the sperm is unable to move in the direction of the egg. If the gamete moves randomly, it simply will not have time to reach the target and will die.
Who is recommended to take a prostate juice test
The analysis is prescribed for patients who have symptoms of diseases of the genitourinary system:
- pain and cramps during urination - inflammation in the urethra often affects the prostate gland;
- pain in the groin and in the areacrotch;
- frequent urge to urinate at night;
- weak jet intensity when urinating;
- discharge with prostate secretion of pus, mucus;
- frequent episodes of infectious and inflammatory diseases;
- easing erectile dysfunction;
- decrease in libido;
- failure to fertilize.
Research may be prescribed during treatment to monitor the dynamics of recovery.
Why do bacterial seeding
The secret of the prostate is used in the study under a microscope in order to conduct a differential diagnosis to clarify the disease. If a bacterial infection is suspected, a tank test is mandatory. culture of prostate secretion. How is such research done? Unlike conventional analysis, this type of diagnostic requires more time to obtain results. Tank culture of prostate secretion allows you to determine the type of infectious agent and determine the degree of its sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.
How to properly prepare for the biofluid sampling procedure
Before conducting a laboratory study, the patient will need special preparation, in which there is nothing complicated. All requirements are easily met, suggesting only minor restrictions in the usual way of life:
- 12 hours before the collection of prostate secretion (how to do this, we will consider further) you can not eat food. This manipulation is prescribed in the morning, so this condition is usuallyno problem.
- In the morning before the procedure, it is important to empty the intestines and do a cleansing enema.
- Before prostate microscopy is done, the man is sent to the bathroom to empty his bladder. This is necessary so that urine drops do not mix with prostate juice when it is taken.
- A few days before the analysis, it is necessary to refrain from sexual contact, and we are talking not only about sexual intercourse, but also surrogate ways of self-satisfaction.
- On the eve of the examination, it is recommended to stop drinking alcohol, visiting saunas, baths, taking a hot bath.
Sampling material through prostate massage
Some patients require sedatives and psychological help because they consider prostate stimulation an unacceptable manipulation. The reason for the categorical attitude towards this medical procedure is often the gender stereotypes and homophobic views that prevail in society. Nevertheless, prostate massage is an indispensable and integral part of the diagnosis of the genitourinary system in men.
The prostate is located next to the rectum, and so close that it can be felt through the intestinal wall. How is prostate secretion taken? Its release occurs spontaneously during ejaculation. The fluid that is needed for the study is excreted through the urethra. Thus, in order to obtain material for research, the doctor does a rectal massage of the prostate, that is, it stimulates the organ throughrectum. This manipulation is performed by urologists.
Algorithm for the procedure
You need to follow a certain order to get the prostate secretion. How is this analysis done? The procedure is as follows:
- The patient needs to remove clothing from the lower part of the body.
- Then the man lies on his right side, bends his knees and brings them to his stomach. The second option is the knee-elbow position, if for some reason it is impossible to take the previous body position.
- The urologist, wearing sterile gloves, immerses the index finger into the rectum by 3.5-4 cm and stimulates the prostate with light stroking movements. Prostate massage usually takes 2-3 minutes.
- To get the secret that accumulates in the gland during stimulation, the doctor presses on the interlobar sulcus.
- Prostate juice begins to flow from the urethra. The fluid is collected on a glass slide for further microscopy of prostate secretions.
How is the analysis done if the biomaterial is released in an amount insufficient for research? In this case, the man is offered to urinate into a laboratory test tube. The secret of the prostate will be present in it along with urine. This is not an ideal option for sampling a prostate secretion, since it does not guarantee accurate analysis results, but in the absence of an alternative, it is the only way to examine.
About contraindications
Massage of the prostate for the collection of biological fluid normally does not cause pain, discomfort. Herselfmanipulation is completely safe, moreover, it is prescribed to men for therapeutic purposes with stagnant processes in the pelvic organs.
However, there are some limitations to the analysis of prostate secretions. Prostate massage is prohibited if a man has:
- increased body temperature - when it exceeds 38 ° C, the composition of the juice changes;
- there are chronic inflammatory diseases - at the stage of exacerbation, it is not recommended to conduct a study, since the analysis will confirm the fact of inflammation in the body, but will not allow an accurate diagnosis;
- Anus fissure, enlarged hemorrhoids - in this case, the penetration of a finger through the anus will bring severe pain;
- prostate tuberculosis.
If it is impossible to get prostate juice, urologists limit themselves to the results of seminal fluid culture, ultrasound and other types of diagnostics.
Some men mistakenly believe that proctologists are involved in the collection of prostate juice. Actually this is not true. It is possible that if it is necessary to take an analysis of prostate juice, the participation of this doctor will be required, but the doctor does not participate in the procedure itself. What does the proctologist do when they take a prostate secret? The role of this highly specialized specialist is to prepare the patient for manipulation. Thus, the proctologist treats the patient for diseases of the rectum and eliminates contraindications for this diagnostic procedure.
What metrics matter
Blaboratories conduct several types of research before issuing a conclusion on the secret of the prostate. Deciphering the analysis of prostate juice consists of several stages:
- visual, during which the volume of liquid is measured, its color, degree of density and acidity level are determined;
- microscopic - the cellular structure of the material, the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes, macrophages, the presence of epithelial cells, etc.;
- bacteriological seeding to detect pathogenic microflora that can cause inflammation.
Another type of study that is subjected to biomaterial in the laboratory is the study of the nature of the crystallization of prostate secretion. Normally, it should contain a lot of s alts, but during crystallization, sodium chloride can take a different form, which depends on the characteristics of the liquid. Ideally, the pattern is similar to a fern leaf, having a complex but orderly pattern. In pathology, the arrangement of crystals is chaotic.
Norm or deviation?
About how to prepare for the collection of prostate secretion, how the analysis is done and what contraindications it has, is already known. Next, you should pay attention to the detailed interpretation of the finished survey results. To establish a diagnosis, specialists adhere to generally accepted parameters. Any deviation from the norm indicates a violation of the genitourinary system, the presence of an inflammatory or infectious process.
The first thingpay attention when studying the male biomaterial - this is its volume. For microscopic analysis, a couple of drops are enough, but normally there should be 1.5-2 ml of secretion. A decrease in the amount of prostate secretion during ejaculation may indicate the development of prostatitis, and an increase in blood stagnation in the small pelvis.
Prostate juice in a he althy man has a whitish tint. In various diseases of the genitourinary system, the color of the liquid becomes pronounced white or yellowish, and in malignant tumors it may have a reddish tint due to blood impurities. An odor that is not characteristic of spermine indicates an inflammatory process and a change in the composition of the secretion.
In addition to these characteristics, other indicators established during the laboratory study are also important:
- Density should be within 1,022. Even a slight deviation indicates disease.
- The pH level is normally 7.0 units, and a deviation of 0.3 units is allowed. With low acidity, they conclude about chronic inflammation, with increased acidity, about prostatitis.
- Erythrocytes in the secret of the male gland should be absent. The presence of single cells in the field of view is also considered the norm. If there are much more red blood cells, prostatitis or oncology is suspected.
- Leukocytes and epithelial cells - no more than two are allowed per field of view. The ducts of the gland are covered with epithelial cells, an increase in the number of which may indicate pathology. A simultaneous increase in the number of leukocytes and epithelial cells indicatesthe presence of abnormal cells. Normally, there should be no more than 10 leukocytes in the field of view at 280x magnification.
These are the main criteria, deviation from which indicates the need for a more detailed examination of the prostate. In addition to them, there are additional indicators. For example, prostate secretion should not contain macrophages. Otherwise, we are talking about the inflammatory process. Congestive processes are evidenced by the so-called giant cells, which should be absent in the composition of the prostate juice in a he althy man.
Indicate benign prostatic hypertrophy, stagnation of blood, sperm or adenoma can be amyloid bodies. Normally, they are found in small quantities. Lecithin grains, on the contrary, become significantly smaller if a man develops prostatitis. A he althy secret contains about 10 million units in 1 ml of fluid. Sometimes fungi and bacteria are found in the test material, and the content of a small number of non-pathogenic microorganisms is considered a variant of the norm. The most common pathogenic microbes that provoke the development of an inflammatory process in the prostate are staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia.
What should I do if an abnormality is found?
Diagnosis is not based solely on the results of prostate secretion analysis. In addition, they can be distorted due to a parallel disease or too viscous biofluid. To confirm the results after some time, the analysis is repeated. Andbetween examinations, the patient is recommended to do prostate massage on his own.
At the same time, most urologists are sure that even with negative answers, the possibility of an inflammatory process cannot be 100% excluded. The thing is that with the latent course of the disease, the secret of the prostate gland becomes more viscous and clogs the ducts, which can be released with the help of a course of prostate stimulation.
In addition, it is important to consider that increased levels of leukocytes, erythrocytes, macrophages and other cells sometimes indicate not inflammation of the prostate, but the presence of pathology from the urethra. That is why, along with the study of prostate juice, patients are prescribed laboratory urine tests.
