查看文章

To measure urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), and to evaluate the role of urinary NGF in predicting the response to treatment, as the clinical diagnosis of IC/BPS is based on subjective symptoms and recent investigations suggest that urinary NGF is increased in patients with IC/BPS.

Urine samples from 122 patients with IC/BPS and 28 normal controls were measured for NGF levels using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The diagnosis of IC/BPS was based on bladder pain symptoms and the results of cystoscopic hydrodistension. Patients’ perception of pain was assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a ‘global’ response assessment after treatment. Urinary NGF levels were further normalized to the concentration of urinary creatinine (NGF/Cr) and compared between …