Evaluation of oxidative stress status and antioxidant capacity in patients with painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis: preliminary results of a randomised study

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate oxidative stress in etiopathogenesis by analyzing serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), binding capacity of exogenous cobalt to human albumin (IMA), serum advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), paraoxonase (PON), arylesterase, IgE, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). Methods: The study included 16 female patients diagnosed with BPS/IC and 25 healthy female subjects forming the control group. A bladder biopsy was performed on all patients in the BPS/IC group by carrying out cystoscopy with hydrodistention under general anesthesia. The results of serum TAC, TOS, IMA, AOPP, PON, arylesterase, IgE, and CRP of the subjects in both groups were compared. Results: The mean age of the 16 female patients in the BPS/IC group was 43.6 ± 14.5 years, and the mean age of the 25 healthy subjects in the control group was 42.0 ± 10.3 years. According to the criteria of International Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis (ESSIC), eight patients were classified as Type 2A, three patients as Type 2B, four patients as Type 2C, and one patient as Type 3C. In the BPS/IC group, while TAC was found significantly lower than in the control group, IMA, IgE, and CRP were found significantly higher (P < 0.05). When binary logistic regression analysis was performed, the created model was determined to have 81.3 % sensitivity and 80 % specifity. Conclusions: In the etiology of BPS/IC, mechanism of oxidative damage comes into prominence. In the diagnosis of BPS/IC, IgE, CRP, and TAC are not specific markers when used separately; however, a higher specifity and sensitivity could be reached when used jointly in the suspected patients.