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Different organization of collagen fibrils in stress-incontinent women of fertile age

Falconer, C ; Blomgren, B ; Johansson, O. ; Ulmsten, U ; Malmström, Anders LU orcid ; Westergren-Thorsson, Gunilla LU and Ekman-Ordeberg, G (1998) In Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 77(1). p.87-94
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to test the hypothesis that stress urinary incontinence in women is correlated to changes in the paraurethral connective tissue ultrastructure and metabolism.

METHODS: Transvaginal biopsies were obtained from the paraurethral connective tissue in women of fertile age with stress urinary incontinence and in matched continent controls. All the stress-incontinent women were characterized with urodynamic investigation. In the biopsies, collagen concentration, measured as hydroxyproline, and the degree of extraction by pepsin digestion were quantified. Proteoglycan composition and concentration were analyzed using Alcian blue precipitation, followed by electrophoretic separation and quantification. Using... (More)

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to test the hypothesis that stress urinary incontinence in women is correlated to changes in the paraurethral connective tissue ultrastructure and metabolism.

METHODS: Transvaginal biopsies were obtained from the paraurethral connective tissue in women of fertile age with stress urinary incontinence and in matched continent controls. All the stress-incontinent women were characterized with urodynamic investigation. In the biopsies, collagen concentration, measured as hydroxyproline, and the degree of extraction by pepsin digestion were quantified. Proteoglycan composition and concentration were analyzed using Alcian blue precipitation, followed by electrophoretic separation and quantification. Using Northern blots mRNA levels for the collagens I and III, the small proteoglycans decorin and biglycan, and the large proteoglycan versican, were quantified. Collagen organization was examined with transmission electron microscopy and the diameters of collagen fibrils were analyzed with an interactive image analysis system (IBAS, Zeiss/Kontron).

RESULTS: The biochemical and morphological analyses exposed a significant difference in the paraurethral connective tissue between stress urinary incontinent women before menopause and comparable controls. The collagen concentration was almost 30% higher and the diameters of the collagen fibrils were 30% larger in the incontinent group of women. Also the organization of the collagen fibrils differed, with considerably higher cross-linking. A higher level of mRNA for collagen I and III in the incontinent group indicates that the differences can be related to an altered collagen metabolism. No change of proteoglycan amount or composition was observed, resulting in a significantly lower proteoglycan/collagen ratio in the incontinent group of women.

CONCLUSION: Stress urinary incontinence in fertile women is associated with a change in collagen metabolism resulting in an increased concentration of collagen and larger collagen fibrils. These alterations should result in a more rigid form of extracellular matrix, suggesting a connective tissue with impaired mechanical function.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adult, Age Factors, Biopsy, Needle, Collagen, Connective Tissue, Female, Humans, Hydroxyproline, Middle Aged, Proteoglycans, Urethra, Urinary Incontinence, Stress, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
in
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
volume
77
issue
1
pages
8 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:9492726
  • scopus:0031964271
ISSN
0001-6349
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2ee78940-f53b-45af-b792-2d98813e6877
date added to LUP
2017-06-27 14:16:04
date last changed
2024-03-31 12:13:55
@article{2ee78940-f53b-45af-b792-2d98813e6877,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: The objective was to test the hypothesis that stress urinary incontinence in women is correlated to changes in the paraurethral connective tissue ultrastructure and metabolism.</p><p>METHODS: Transvaginal biopsies were obtained from the paraurethral connective tissue in women of fertile age with stress urinary incontinence and in matched continent controls. All the stress-incontinent women were characterized with urodynamic investigation. In the biopsies, collagen concentration, measured as hydroxyproline, and the degree of extraction by pepsin digestion were quantified. Proteoglycan composition and concentration were analyzed using Alcian blue precipitation, followed by electrophoretic separation and quantification. Using Northern blots mRNA levels for the collagens I and III, the small proteoglycans decorin and biglycan, and the large proteoglycan versican, were quantified. Collagen organization was examined with transmission electron microscopy and the diameters of collagen fibrils were analyzed with an interactive image analysis system (IBAS, Zeiss/Kontron).</p><p>RESULTS: The biochemical and morphological analyses exposed a significant difference in the paraurethral connective tissue between stress urinary incontinent women before menopause and comparable controls. The collagen concentration was almost 30% higher and the diameters of the collagen fibrils were 30% larger in the incontinent group of women. Also the organization of the collagen fibrils differed, with considerably higher cross-linking. A higher level of mRNA for collagen I and III in the incontinent group indicates that the differences can be related to an altered collagen metabolism. No change of proteoglycan amount or composition was observed, resulting in a significantly lower proteoglycan/collagen ratio in the incontinent group of women.</p><p>CONCLUSION: Stress urinary incontinence in fertile women is associated with a change in collagen metabolism resulting in an increased concentration of collagen and larger collagen fibrils. These alterations should result in a more rigid form of extracellular matrix, suggesting a connective tissue with impaired mechanical function.</p>}},
  author       = {{Falconer, C and Blomgren, B and Johansson, O. and Ulmsten, U and Malmström, Anders and Westergren-Thorsson, Gunilla and Ekman-Ordeberg, G}},
  issn         = {{0001-6349}},
  keywords     = {{Adult; Age Factors; Biopsy, Needle; Collagen; Connective Tissue; Female; Humans; Hydroxyproline; Middle Aged; Proteoglycans; Urethra; Urinary Incontinence, Stress; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{87--94}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Different organization of collagen fibrils in stress-incontinent women of fertile age}},
  volume       = {{77}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}