The Diagnostic Value of Mast Cell Count in Interstitial Cystitis

Choi, Man Seok; Kim, Soo Il; Jung, Se Il; Jung, Gyung Woo; Kwon, Heon Young

Abstract

PURPOSE: In this study we attempted to find the value of mast cell index as a diagnostic purpose of the interstitial cystitis (IC)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We compared clinical symptoms and the mast cell index in the IC and chronic cystitis patients. 16 cases of the IC patients, determined by Parson's criteria, were monitored. Under the spinal anesthesia and bladder overdistension with pressure of 60-80cmH2O, bladder wall was checked under cystoscopy. The biopsies of the bladder mucosa and detrusor muscle were obtained. The mast cell index was estimated under light microscope(x400 magnification) after it was stained with toluidine blue.
RESULTS
In the IC patients, there was significant correlation between the bladder capacity and mast cell index(p <0.01). Seven patients with 100-199ml bladder capacity range had mast cell index of 62.94+/-3.66, and 8 patients in 200-299ml range had 44.78+/-9.12 mast cell index. In relation between the frequency of nocturia and mast cell index, frequency of 1-2 nocturia patients had mast cell index of 53.75+/-11.45(8 cases), 3-4 nocturia had 44.82+/-8.42(5 cases), 4 or more nocturia had 60.13+/-17.94 mast cell index(3 cases). 10 patients with urgency had 46.41+/-10.29 mast cell index, while 6 patients with no urgency problem had 61.73+/-9.92. 9 patients with lower abdominal pain had mast cell index of 51.37+/-11.79, while 7 patients with lower abdominal pain had 53.16+/-11.79. In comparison between the IC and chronic cystitis, there was significant difference between them. In IC, mast cell index was 52.09+/-12.49 and in chronic cystitis, mast cell index was 23.51+/-7.10(p <0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, the results were showed that there is no direct correlation of mast cell index with nocturia, urgency and lower abdominal pain in IC patients, however there is inverse relationship between mast cell index and the bladder capacity, and we also found significant mast cell index differences between the IC and chronic cystitis. Therefore, we suggest that mast cell index is one of the pathological characteristics of IC and useful method to diagnose the interstitial cystitis.