Enhanced urothelial expression of human chorionic gonadotropin beta (hCG beta) in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC)

Schwalenberg, Thilo and Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe and Phuc Ho Thi, and Mallock, Tobias and Hartenstein, Siegurd and Alexander, Henry and Zimmermann, Gerolf and Hohenfellner, Rudolf and Denzinger, Stefan and Burger, Maximilian and Horn, Lars-Christian and Neuhaus, Jochen (2012) Enhanced urothelial expression of human chorionic gonadotropin beta (hCG beta) in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). WORLD JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, 30 (3). pp. 411-417. ISSN 0724-4983,

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Abstract

Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) is associated with urothelial lesions. Pathomechanisms of urothelial damage and factors for urothelial restoration are unknown. hCG is a factor for cellular differentiation, angiogenesis and immune competence of the endometrium during pregnancy. Clinical observations demonstrate improvement of BPS/IC symptoms during pregnancy or during infertility treatment with hCG. Our research aims were to examine the expression of hCG and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in the urothelium of BPS/IC patients and compare the levels of hCG beta with healthy controls. Bladder biopsies of BPS/IC (CLSM: n = 10; qPCR: n = 15); Tumour-free control tissue from cystectomies (n = 12). hCG alpha, hCG beta and LHR expression were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and hCG beta expression was quantified. hCG beta 5 and hCG beta 7 mRNA splice variants were quantified in real-time polymerase chain reaction. We found constitutive expression of hCG alpha, hCG beta and LHR in healthy controls. HCG beta was significantly upregulated in BPS/IC patients in CLSM. PCR analysis revealed higher levels of hCG beta 7 than hCG beta 5 in controls and BPS/IC patients. The constitutive expression of hCG and LHR speaks in favour for a functional signalling in urothelial cells without any association with either pregnancy or tumour. We show for the first time that hCG beta is upregulated in BPS/IC urothelium and that hCG beta 7 is the dominant splice variant in those cells. Our findings imply a major role of hCG for urothelial integrity and a disturbance of hCG signalling in case of BPS/IC. We conclude that hCG could gain therapeutical relevance in the future.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR; INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS; MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES; PREGNANCY; WOMEN; Urothelial lesion; Urothelial restoration; Luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR); Interstitial cystitis (IC); Human chorionic gonadotropin beta; Cystine-knot growth factors superfamily
Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine
Divisions: Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Urologie
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 13 May 2020 05:56
Last Modified: 13 May 2020 05:56
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/18670

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