[Autoimmune aspects of a case of chronic interstitial cystitis]

Chronic interstitial cystitis is a disease characterized by clinical recurring cystitis with histopathological aspects of a chronic aspecific inflammation of the bladder. Etiopathogenesis is still unknown, even if autoimmunity has been hypothesized in some cases. In this paper we report an immunopathologic and immunohistochemical study on a case of chronic interstitial cystitis. The inappropriate immunologic behaviour of the lymphocyte populations, the inhibition of leukocytes migration with bladder extracts and the immunofluorescent findings of IgG and C3 deposits in the mucosa support the hypothesis of an autoimmune pathogenesis of the disease.