Genomic Risk Factors for Urethral Stricture: A Systematic Review and Gene Network Analysis

To identify genes that may play a role in urethral stricture and summarize the results of studies that have documented variations in gene expression among individuals with urethral stricture compared to healthy individuals.

A systematic search was conducted in Cochrane, Ovid, Web of Science, and PubMed, limiting the results to articles published between January 1, 2000 and January 30, 2023. Only studies comparing the difference in gene expression between individuals with urethral stricture and healthy individuals utilizing molecular techniques to measure gene expression in blood, urine, or tissue samples were included in this systematic review. Gene network and pathway analyses were performed using Cytoscape software, with input data obtained from our systematic review of differentially expressed genes in urethral stricture.

Four studies met our criteria for inclusion. The studies used molecular biology methods to quantify gene expression data from specimens. The analysis revealed gene expressions of CXCR3 and NOS2 were downregulated in urethral tissue samples, while TGFB1, UPK3A, and CTGF were upregulated in plasma, urine and urethral tissue samples, respectively, in patients with urethral stricture compared to healthy controls. The analysis demonstrated that the most significant pathways were associated with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) and transforming growth factor beta 1/suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic (TGF-β1/SMAD) signaling pathways.

This systematic review identified gene expression variations in several candidate genes and identified underlying biological pathways associated with urethral stricture. These findings could inform further research and potentially shift treatment and prevention strategies for urethral stricture.