Increased mast cell levels detected in IC detrusor muscles
Story originally posted on February 26, 2006
An interesting article has recently made urology headlines which focuses on the hot IC topic of mast cells and the continued hunt to get to the root of IC pathophysiology. Though the study which this article is about is a bit heavy when it comes to the technical side of the medical concepts that it goes into, the focus behind the article is that new research shows the ICers have a higher level of mast cells in our (bladder) detrusor smooth muscle cells. (Your detrusor muscle is the bladder muscle which helps to expel urine from your bladder).
During the research which was conducted at the “Smooth Muscle Laboratory, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Bladder”, bladder biopsies showed (for what may the first time in a clinical study) that ICers (people with Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome) have a higher number of active mast cells in this specific area of their bladders.
To quote this fascinating IC story, “this finding (an increased level of mast cells in the smooth muscles of bladder detrusors) may provide the explanation for the presence of mast cells in detrusor smooth muscle layers with possible implications for the pathophysiology of PBS/IC.”
Though the role of mast cells has been known to play a significant part in the symptoms of IC for many people for some time now, this study was the first of its kind to specially go after the thought that masts cells might be “congregating” in the detrusor muscle. Leaving researchers to conclude that perhaps an IC therapy (of some sort) whose aim would be to specifically target mast cells in this area could be an aggressive way to try and tackle IC. Currently the most common form of direct “mast cell IC treatment” (and arguably the most affective) in the use of antihistamines which aim to decrease mast cell (and therefore hopefully inflammation) levels in the bladder, such as the oral IC drug, hydroxyzine.
Information resources:
Detrusor Smooth Muscle Cells May Be Critical In Induction Of Bladder Inflammation Pathophysiology