This proposal is in response to an invitation for a cooperative agreement (contract) for one of ten clinical centers to collaboratively establish, perform, maintain and evaluate multiple therapeutic trials, either sequentially or concurrently for treatments of prostatitis through the collection and analysis of information and clinical samples from patients with the disorder. The long-term objective will be attained by: 1. Developing a protocol(s) and manual of operations through the joint efforts of the Steering Committee consisting of members of the clinical centers, data coordinating center, and the NIDDK project scientist. The investigator from the clinical centers in conjunction with the data coordinating center, will have responsibility in developing the protocol(s). 2. Recruiting and admitting patients into the study who have met agreed upon diagnostic entry criteria, have standard demographic information, symptoms related to prostatitis and who will provide clinical samples collected at established intervals will be enrolled. Northwestern's proposed clinical trial is to conduct a prospective multi-center randomized blinded placebo controlled trial of Saw palmetto (SP) or Pygeum africanum (PA) or placebo in patients with symptoms of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). Because of the widespread use of these medications for the treatment of CPPS and lower urinary tract symptoms in men, and the neat total lack of well-performed studies on the efficacy and long-term effects, a placebo controlled trial is needed as defined using the CPCRN criterion.
