title: The effect of age and medical comorbidities on in vitro myoblast expansion in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is an observational study is designed to assess the influence of age, prolapse and medical co-morbidities on myogenic stem cells growth in-vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  A biopsy of the rectus abdominus muscle was obtained during surgery in patients with and without pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Nuclei number and fiber count were correlated with patient's age, presence of POP, and medical comorbidities. Efficiency of expansion of myogenic stem cells in vitro was calculated. The percentage of Pax7-, MyoD-, and desmin-positive cells was correlated with age, POP status, and medical comorbidities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 17 specimens were obtained; 13 specimens were available for histologic analysis. There was no correlation between patient's age, POP status or medical comorbidities and nuclei or fiber count, growth rate, or the percentage of Pax7- and MyoD-positive cells. Patients with 2 to 4 medical comorbidities were noted to have a significantly lower percentage of desmin-positive cells. Specimens with a higher nuclear count had significantly better cellular expansion. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon rank sum statistics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple medical comorbidities but not patient's age or POP status influenced in vitro myogenic stem cell growth. These data suggest that patients with advancing age or POP may be acceptable autologous donors if treatment of urinary or anal incontinence requires myoblast transplantation.
authors.affiliation: From the *Division of Urogynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and †Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Danielle Markle
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Felicia L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Jocelyn B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nistor
authors.forename: Saba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motakef
authors.forename: Quynh-Ahn
authors.initials: QA
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keirstead
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003893:Desmin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D017570:MyoD Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003893:Desmin; D017570:MyoD Protein; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor; C497321:PAX7 protein, human