Urinary chemokines as noninvasive predictors of ulcerative interstitial cystitis

Based on basic research findings an increase in chemokines and cytokines (CXCL-1 and 10, nerve growth factor and interleukin-6) is considered responsible for inflammation and afferent sensitization. In this cross-sectional study we tested the hypothesis that select chemokines are increased in the urine of patients with ulcerative and nonulcerative interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

Midstream urinary specimens were collected from 10 patients with ulcerative and nonulcerative interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, respectively, and from 10 asymptomatic controls. Urinary levels of 7 cytokines were measured by a human cytokine/chemokine assay. Nerve growth factor was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Urinary levels of most chemokines/cytokines were tenfold to 100-fold lower in asymptomatic controls vs patients with ulcerative and nonulcerative interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. Univariate comparison of 8 tested proteins in the ulcerative vs nonulcerative groups revealed a significant fivefold to twentyfold increase in CXCL-10 and 1, interleukin-6 and nerve growth factor (ANOVA p<0.001).

Differential expression of chemokines in ulcerative and nonulcerative subtypes of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome suggests differences in paracrine signaling between the 2 entities.