Metallothionein overexpression of bladder biopsies associated with tissue hypoxia in patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between hypoxia and metallothionein expression in bladder biopsies of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome patients.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 41 patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, and the control group consisted of 12 volunteers without any interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome symptoms. All biopsy specimens were analyzed for both proteins of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and metallothionein expression by immunoblotting, immunostaining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test.


RESULTS
An increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and metallothionein was noted in the study group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Both proteins of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and metallothionein mainly distributed over bladder urothelium by immunohistochemical staining, and showed co-localization under confocal microscopy.


CONCLUSIONS
High expression and co-localization of metallothionein and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in the bladder mucosa of patients with interstitial cystitis suggest that overexpression of metallothionein is associated with the bladder hypoxia related to this disease.
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
Jane-Dar
JD
Lee
Ming-Huei
MH
Lee
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D008668:Metallothionein
hypoxia; interstitial cystitis; metallothionein; painful bladder syndrome