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Metallothionein overexpression of bladder biopsies associated with tissue hypoxia in patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome
Author(s) -
Lee JaneDar,
Lee MingHuei
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1442-2042
pISSN - 0919-8172
DOI - 10.1111/iju.12402
Subject(s) - interstitial cystitis , urothelium , metallothionein , immunohistochemistry , immunostaining , medicine , pathology , urinary bladder , hypoxia (environmental) , urology , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , oxygen , gene
Objective To study the relationship between hypoxia and metallothionein expression in bladder biopsies of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome patients. Methods The study group consisted of 41 patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, and the control group consisted of 12 volunteers without any interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome symptoms. All biopsy specimens were analyzed for both proteins of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and metallothionein expression by immunoblotting, immunostaining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Data were analyzed using the M ann– W hitney U ‐test. Results An increased expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and metallothionein was noted in the study group compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). Both proteins of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and metallothionein mainly distributed over bladder urothelium by immunohistochemical staining, and showed co‐localization under confocal microscopy. Conclusions High expression and co‐localization of metallothionein and hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 alpha in the bladder mucosa of patients with interstitial cystitis suggest that overexpression of metallothionein is associated with the bladder hypoxia related to this disease.