title: Urothelial Functional Protein and Sensory Receptors in Patients With Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome With and Without Hunner's Lesion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the urothelium function and sensory receptors difference between interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) patients with or without Hunner's lesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen female IC/BPS patients with Hunner's lesion (Hunner IC) and 14 age-matched IC/BPS patients without Hunner's lesions (non-Hunner IC) were enrolled. Bladder mucosa biopsies were obtained. Bladder inflammation, eosinophil infiltration, and urothelial denudation were graded on a 4-point scale after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. Adhesive protein E-cadherin, tryptase, and zonula occuldens-1 in the bladder tissues were assessed with immunofluorescence staining. Urothelial muscarinic receptors M2, M3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and purinergic receptor P2X3 were evaluated by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hunner IC patients had a significantly higher mean visual analog scale pain score and smaller cystometric bladder capacity than non-Hunner IC patients. The Hunner IC bladder specimens showed more severe or moderate eosinophilic infiltration and urothelial denudation than the non-Hunner IC bladder specimens did. The E-cadherin expression was significantly lower, and eNOS expression was significantly higher in the Hunner IC bladder samples than in the non-Hunner IC samples. The other functional proteins or sensory receptors did not differ between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bladder inflammation and urothelial cell adhesion defects were more severe in the Hunner IC than that in the non-Hunner IC patients. eNOS was significantly higher in the Hunner IC than in the non-Hunner IC bladder samples, suggesting that eNOS expression difference may implicate different pathogenesis in 2 types of IC.
authors: Department of Urology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors: Jia-Fong
authors: JF
authors: Jhang
authors: Department of Pathology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors: Yung-Hsiang
authors: YH
authors: Hsu
authors: Department of Urology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan. Electronic address: hck@tzuchi.com.tw.
authors: Hann-Chorng
authors: HC
authors: Kuo
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D059350:Chronic Pain; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D058477:Receptors, Purinergic P2X3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013577:Syndrome; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D058477:Receptors, Purinergic P2X3; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III