Diagnosis and Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome: A Review

Intravesical Instillations of Hyaluronic Acid as First-Line Treatment in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: Use, Efficacy and Effects on Quality of Life

The efficacy of hyaluronic acid instillations as therapy for patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) has been demonstrated in some clinical studies, with response rates up to 70%. The aim of the study is to investigate the change in symptoms and quality of life in female patients with IC/BPS after intravesical instillations of hyaluronic acid used as first-line treatment. A retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted. Female patients, whose symptoms were compatible with the diagnosis of IC/BPS as defined by the International Continence Society, were treated with a variable number of intravesical instillations of a hyaluronic acid-based drug. Three validated questionnaires were administered by telephone to all patients, before the beginning of the treatment and 6 months after the last administration of the drug. A total of 50 patients with symptoms compatible with the diagnosis of IC/BPS were included in the study. The median number of instillations performed is 4. For all questionnaires, the median value was significantly reduced following treatment with intravesical instillations (p = 0.000). The present study has shown that intravesical hyaluronic acid treatment results in both statistically and clinically significant symptomatic improvement, thereby improving the quality of life of patients with IC/BPS.

Application of Adult and Pluripotent Stem Cells in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Therapy: Methods and Perspectives

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a multifactorial, chronic disease without definite etiology characterized by bladder-related pelvic pain. IC/BPS is associated with pain that negatively affects the quality of life. There are various therapeutic approaches against IC/BPS. However, no efficient therapeutic agent against IC/BPS has been discovered yet. Urothelium dysfunction is one of the key factors of IC/BPS-related pathogenicity. Stem cells, including adult stem cells (ASCs) and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced PSCs (iPSCs), possess the abilities of self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation into various cell types, including urothelial and other bladder cells. Therefore, stem cells are considered robust candidates for bladder regeneration. This review provides a brief overview of the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of IC/BPS as well as a summary of ASCs and PSCs. The potential of ASCs and PSCs in bladder regeneration via differentiation into bladder cells or direct transplantation into the bladder and the possible applications in IC/BPS therapy are described in detail. A better understanding of current studies on stem cells and bladder regeneration will allow further improvement in the approaches of stem cell applications for highly efficient IC/BPS therapy.

An International Survey of Commonly Used Interventions for Management of Pelvic Pain

Background

Pelvic pain (PP) is a debilitating condition that is challenging to manage. Despite differences in suspected etiologies of different PP conditions, common clinical signs and symptoms make it appropriate to group these diagnoses. The presence of neuro-musculoskeletal impairments in PP suggests that physical therapists are ideally situated to be included as part of the health care team managing this condition; however, little information is available to guide physical therapist management of PP.

Objectives

As a first step to developing management guidelines, we sought to determine common interventions currently used by physical therapists to manage PP.

Study Design

Descriptive survey.

Methods

A modified Delphi approach was used to identify broad categories of interventions that were then used to build a survey. Purposeful selection with snowball recruiting methods was used to collect responses from practitioners. Frequency data were collected for survey responses. Chi-square analysis determined associations among responses based on practitioner training.

Results

A total of 984 responses from 17 different countries were analyzed. The primary responses were from physical therapists in the USA and Canada. The majority of respondents were board-certified clinical specialists. More than 80% of physical therapist respondents indicated that they "frequently used" education, exercise, and manual therapy for patients with PP. The most common interventions considered effective but not frequently used were cognitive-behavioral therapy, dry needling, acupuncture, topical medications, and internal pelvic manual therapy techniques. Geographical differences in patterns of usespecific manual therapy and exercise interventions were noted. Differences were also noted on the basis of the levels of advanced postprofessional training.

Conclusion

Physical therapists routinely use education, manual therapy, and exercise to manage pelvic pain conditions.

Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the development of bladder pain syndrome interstitial cystitis

Although it has been proposed that NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation may have an important contribution to the onset of bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC), as of today there is still insufficient evidence to accept or to reject this hypothesis. However, taking into consideration that inflammasomes have been already shown as important mediators of cyclophosphamide-induced bladder inflammation and that some studies have also revealed human bladder epithelium expresses high levels of NLRP3, such a hypothesis seems to be reasonable. The purpose of this review is to discuss a scenario that NLRP3 inflammasome is a crucial player in the development of this disease. Identification of a novel mediator of bladder inflammation and pain could lead to emerging new therapeutic strategy and the first causative therapy.

Mechanically stimulated ATP release from mammalian cells: systematic review and meta-analysis

Body tissues are exposed to a complex mechanical environment, which is perceived by cells and converted to biochemical signals such as ATP release. We performed a meta-analysis of 278 systematically identified studies that investigated mechanically stimulated ATP release (MSAR) to quantify the amounts, kinetics and mechanisms of ATP release under normal and pathological conditions. Mechanically stimulated mammalian cells were shown to release 38.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): 18.2-81.8] amol ATP/cell on average with a characteristic time constant of 32 s (95% CI: 16-66). Analysis of ATP release mechanisms revealed the existence of conserved and tissue-specific release routes. We assessed ATP release in pathophysiological states, and found that ATP release was elevated in inflammation and injury, and attenuated in hereditary (such as cystic fibrosis) and metabolic (such as type II diabetes) conditions. Our study links cell-specific ATP release mechanisms to pathophysiological changes in ATP release and allows ATP release-targeting interventions to be mapped to site-specific effects. This work demonstrates that quantitative synthesis of basic research can generate non-trivial hypotheses and inform evidence-driven translational studies.

Nursing Care of Women With Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome

Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome is a chronic condition affecting approximately 3.3 million women in the United States. It is defined by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as "urinary pain that can't be attributed to other causes such as infection or urinary stones." Because of the intimate nature of the symptoms, women are often reluctant to seek treatment. When they do, they require a care provider with specialized nursing skills. Nursing practice based on carefully reviewed literature will result in the provision of comprehensive and compassionate nursing care for women with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Bladder Instillation Therapy With Hyaluronic Acid and Chondroitin Sulfate Improves Symptoms of Postradiation Cystitis: Prospective Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

After radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer (PCa), several patients reported lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to damage and discontinuation of the glycosaminoglycan layer of the bladder. Instillation of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate (HA-CS) represents replenishment therapy of the glycosaminoglycan layer. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HA-CS in men with symptomatic cystitis after RT for PCa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty consecutive men were treated with RT for PCa; 30 of these (37.5%) reported clinically relevant LUTS and associated bother as measured by the Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index and Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI) Questionnaire 3 months after RT. Symptomatic patients received instillation therapy with HA-CS weekly for the first month and then at weeks 6, 8, and 12. All patients completed the ICSI/ICPI questionnaire before and after RT and at the end of HA-CS treatment.

RESULTS

HA-CS significantly reduced postradiation LUTS (P < .001) and bother (P = .006). Age, Gleason score, and radiation dose were the main determinants of worsening of LUTS after radiation (ICSI score baseline vs. postradiation: P = .047, .043, and .023). In multivariate analysis, only age influenced LUTS worsening after RT (P = .01). Age, radiation dose, and radiation toxicity were related to recovery of LUTS (ICSI score postradiation vs. post-HA-CS P = .041, P = .050, and P = .046). In multivariate analysis, no factor was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

A remarkable worsening of symptoms and bother was observed after RT. HA-CS instillation is a safe treatment and resulted in an improvement of LUTS irrespective of age and clinical features, with full recovery of urinary bother.

Impaired Expression of Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) Synthesis and Degradation Enzymes during Differentiation of Immortalized Urothelial Cells from Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome

Purpose

The differentiated superficial cells of the urothelium restrict urine flow into the bladder wall. We have demonstrated that urothelial cells isolated from bladders of patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) fail to release PGE₂ in response to tryptase. This study examines the expression of PGE₂ synthesis and degradation enzymes in urothelial cells during differentiation.

Materials and Methods

We measured immunoprotein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E₂ synthase (PGES) and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH) in human urothelial cells and in immortalized urothelial cells isolated from the bladders of IC/PBS patients or normal subjects during stratification and differentiation produced by increased calcium and fetal bovine serum (Ca/FBS) in the culture medium for 1, 3 and 7 days.

Results

PGES immunoprotein expression increased during differentiation in normal and IC/PBS urothelial cells. COX-2 expression also increased in cells from normal patients following differentiation. Remarkably, no COX-2 expression was detectable in urothelial cells isolated from 3 out of 4 IC/PBS patients. PGDH immunoprotein expression decreased in normal cells after 1 and 3 days of Ca/FBS addition, but returned to normal after 7 days. PGDH expression was unchanged during differentiation at 1 and 3 days, but was more than 2-fold higher at 7 days compared to day 0 in the IC/PBS cells. Urothelial cells isolated from IC/PBS patients demonstrated no PGE₂ release in response to tryptase under any of the experimental conditions studied.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results indicate that PGE₂ release is compromised during stratification and differentiation in IC/PBS urothelium and may contribute to impaired barrier function.

Painful intercourse is significantly associated with evoked pain perception and cognitive aspects of pain in women with pelvic pain

Introduction

Evidence suggests that painful intercourse, pain-related psychosocial factors, and altered pain processing magnify the pain experience, but it is not clear how these factors are related to each other.

Aim

The aims were to (i) characterize differences between women with pelvic pain and pain-free women using a battery of pain-related psychosocial measures, clinical pain ratings, and evoked local and remote pain sensitivity; and (ii) examine the relationship between intercourse pain, clinical pain, and local and remote evoked pain sensitivity.

Methods

Women with pelvic pain lasting at least 3 months and pain-free women completed questionnaires and underwent pain sensitivity testing. Self-report measures included clinical pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear, pain anxiety, depression, sexual function, and self-efficacy. Pain sensitivity measures included threshold and tolerance and temporal summation of pain. Separate analyses of variance (anova) were used to test group differences in self-report and pain sensitivity measures. Correlations were calculated among dyspareunia, psychosocial factors, and evoked pain.

Main Outcome Measures

Self-reported pain and pain sensitivity measures.

Results

Twenty-eight pain-free women and 14 women with pelvic pain participated in this study. Women with pelvic pain reported greater pain intensity and greater psychosocial involvement compared with pain-free women. No differences existed between groups for thermal or pressure measures, but women with pelvic pain rated their pain with pain testing significantly higher than pain-free women. Intercourse pain was significantly associated with affective and sensory pain and pressure pain ratings at the puborectalis, vulvar vestibule, adductor longus tendons, and tibialis anterior muscle.

Conclusions

Differences in local pain ratings suggest that women with pelvic pain perceive stimuli in this region as more painful than pain-free women although the magnitude of stimuli does not differ. Alappattu MJ, George SZ, Robinson ME, Fillingim RB, Moawad N, LeBrun EW, and Bishop MD. Painful intercourse is significantly associated with evoked pain perception and cognitive aspects of pain in women with pelvic pain. Sex Med 2015;3:14–23.

Podoplanin (D2-40) is a reliable marker of urinary bladder myofibroblasts (telocytes)

Podoplanin, D2-40, has been described in a variety of normal and neoplastic tissues. It is often used for highlighting lymphatics. We evaluated the expression of podoplanin in α-smooth muscle actinpositive myofibroblasts producing the suburothelial layer in tunica propria of the urinary bladder that have some similar features with telocytes. Our results showed that these cells demonstrate distinct D2-40 immunoreactivity from telocytes occurring in the renal pelvis and ureter. We observed positive reaction not only in bioptic specimens from women with interstitial cystitis, but also in a control group of women and men treated for pathological bladder lesion different from interstitial cystitis. It is interesting that identical staining reaction was observed in the ureters only exceptionally. In addition, we examined samples from myofibroblastic tumoriform lesions of soft tissue such as nodular fascitis and fibromatosis (desmoid) and we obtained negative results. It means that the so-called myofibroblasts of urinary bladder tunica propria have a unique immunophenotype that has probably not been described until now. Our findings suggest that D2-40 can be used as a complementary immunostainer to α-smooth muscle actin on urinary bladder biopsies from patients with interstitial cystitis. The role of D2-40 as an immunohistochemical marker is still being investigated.

Nerve stimulation for chronic pelvic pain and bladder pain syndrome: a systematic review

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and bladder pain syndrome (BPS) can have a negative impact on quality of life. Neuromodulation has been suggested as a possible treatment for refractory pain. To assess the effectiveness of tibial and sacral nerve stimulation in the treatment of BPS and CPP. We searched until July 2012: the Cochrane Library, EMBASE (1980-2012), Medline (1950-2012), Web of knowledge (1900-2012), LILACS (1982-2012) and SIGLE (1990-2012) with no language restrictions. We manually searched through bibliographies and conference proceedings of the International Continence Society. Randomized and prospective quasi-randomized controlled studies vs. sham nerve stimulation treatment or usual care of patients with CPP and BPS who underwent sacral or tibial nerve stimulation were included. Any studies involving transcutaneous stimulation were excluded. The outcome was a cure or improvement in symptoms. Three studies with 169 patients treated with tibial nerve stimulation were included; two for CPP and one for BPS. There were improvements in pain, urinary and quality of life scores. There were no reported data for sacral nerve stimulation. There is scanty literature reporting variable success of posterior tibial nerve stimulation in improving pain, urinary symptoms and quality of life in CPP and BPS. In view of the dearth of quality literature, a large multi-centered clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of electrical nerve stimulation to treat BPS and CPP along with the cost-analysis of this treatment is recommended.

A healthy bladder: a consensus statement

A panel of experts in urology, urogynecology, nursing, and behavioral therapy convened in 2010 to discuss the importance of a healthy bladder on overall health. They determined that a consensus statement was necessary to raise awareness among the general public, healthcare providers, payors, and policymakers, with the goals of minimizing the impact of poor bladder health and stimulating primary prevention of bladder conditions. In this statement, 'healthy' bladder function is described, as well as internal and external factors that influence bladder health. It is suggested that primary prevention strategies should be aimed at providing education regarding normal lower urinary tract structures and functioning to the public, including patients and healthcare providers. This education may promote the achievement of optimal bladder health by increasing healthy bladder habits and behaviors, awareness of risk factors, healthcare seeking, and clinician engagement and reducing stigma and other barriers to treatment. Promoting optimal bladder health may reduce the personal, societal and economic impact of bladder conditions, including anxiety and depression and costs associated with conditions or diseases and their treatment. While adopting healthy bladder habits and behaviors and behaviors may improve or maintain bladder health, it is important to recognize that certain symptoms may indicate the presence of conditions that require medical attention; many bladder conditions are treatable with a range of options for most bladder conditions. Lastly, the authors propose clinical directives based on persuasive and convergent research to improve and maintain bladder health. The authors hope that this statement will lead to promotion and achievement of optimal bladder health, which may improve overall health and help minimize the effects of bladder conditions on the public, healthcare professionals, educators, employers, and payors. The advisors are in consensus regarding the recommendations for improving and maintaining bladder health presented herein.

Psychological factors in chronic pelvic pain in women: relevance and application of the fear-avoidance model of pain

Chronic pelvic pain in women is a debilitating, costly condition often treated by physical therapists. The etiology of this condition is multifactorial and poorly understood, given the complex interplay of muscles, bones, and soft tissue that comprise the pelvis. There are few guidelines directing treatment interventions for this condition. In the last decade, several investigators have highlighted the role of psychological variables in conditions such as vulvodynia and painful bladder syndrome. Pain-related fear is the focus of the fear-avoidance model (FAM) of pain, which theorizes that some people are more likely to develop and maintain pain after an injury because of their emotional and behavioral responses to pain. The FAM groups people into 2 classes on the basis of how they respond to pain: people who have low fear, confront pain, and recover from injury and people who catastrophize pain-a response that leads to avoidance/escape behaviors, disuse, and disability. Given the presence of pain-related cognitions in women with chronic pelvic pain, including hypervigilance, catastrophizing, and anxiety, research directed toward the application of the FAM to guide therapeutic interventions is warranted. Isolated segments of the FAM have been studied to theorize why traditional approaches (ie, medications and surgery) may not lead to successful outcomes. However, the explicit application of the FAM to guide physical therapy interventions for women with chronic pelvic pain is not routine. Integrating the FAM might direct physical therapists' clinical decision making on the basis of the pain-related cognitions and behaviors of patients. The aims of this article are to provide information about the FAM of musculoskeletal pain and to provide evidence for the relevance of the FAM to chronic pelvic pain in women.