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Paraurethral connective tissue in stress-incontinent women after menopause

Falconer, C ; Ekman-Ordeberg, G ; Blomgren, B ; Johansson, O ; Ulmsten, U ; Westergren-Thorsson, G LU orcid and Malmström, A LU orcid (1998) In Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 77(1). p.95-100
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study whether stress urinary incontinence after menopause is correlated to changes in the paraurethral connective tissue ultrastructure and metabolism.

METHODS: Transvaginal biopsies were obtained from the paraurethral connective tissue in stress urinary incontinent women after menopause with and without estrogen replacement therapy, and from comparable controls. All the stress-incontinent women underwent urodynamic investigation. In the specimens, collagen concentration, measured as hydroxyproline, and the degree of extractability by pepsin digestion, were quantified. Proteoglycan composition and concentration were analyzed using Alcian Blue precipitation, followed by electro-phoretic separation and quantification.... (More)

OBJECTIVE: To study whether stress urinary incontinence after menopause is correlated to changes in the paraurethral connective tissue ultrastructure and metabolism.

METHODS: Transvaginal biopsies were obtained from the paraurethral connective tissue in stress urinary incontinent women after menopause with and without estrogen replacement therapy, and from comparable controls. All the stress-incontinent women underwent urodynamic investigation. In the specimens, collagen concentration, measured as hydroxyproline, and the degree of extractability by pepsin digestion, were quantified. Proteoglycan composition and concentration were analyzed using Alcian Blue precipitation, followed by electro-phoretic 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 structure was examined with transmission electron microscopy, and the diameters of collagen fibrils were analyzed with an interactive image analysis system (IBAS, Zeiss/Kontron).

RESULTS: No significant difference in paraurethral connective tissue biochemistry or ultrastructure was registered between women with stress incontinence and controls. Estrogen replacement therapy resulted in a lower collagen concentration both between the controls (p = 0.02) and between the incontinent women (0.02). In the women with stress incontinence also the extractability by pepsin digestion was higher in the group with estrogen treatment (p = 0.004), indicating a decrease in cross-linking. The proteoglycan/collagen ratio was higher in the control group with estrogen treatment compared to untreated (p = 0.02), but no difference was found between estrogen treated and untreated incontinent women. The median collagen fibril diameter was 15% larger in the incontinent group of women without estrogen therapy compared to the control group and 5% larger when comparing the incontinent group on estrogen replacement therapy to the corresponding control group.

CONCLUSION: The extracellular matrix of paraurethral connective tissue in stress urinary incontinent women after menopause reacted differently to estrogen replacement therapy compared to continent controls. In contrast to incontinent women of fertile age no major changes in collagen metabolism were found in stress urinary incontinent women after menopause.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aged, Collagen, Connective Tissue, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Female, Humans, Hydroxyproline, Middle Aged, Postmenopause, Proteoglycans, RNA, Messenger, Urethra, Urinary Incontinence, Stress, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
in
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
volume
77
issue
1
pages
95 - 100
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:9492727
  • scopus:0031965239
ISSN
0001-6349
DOI
10.1034/j.1600-0412.1998.770120.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0587549c-2957-4a7e-9ef2-0d1f62de131d
date added to LUP
2017-06-27 14:14:26
date last changed
2024-06-09 19:05:03
@article{0587549c-2957-4a7e-9ef2-0d1f62de131d,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: To study whether stress urinary incontinence after menopause 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 stress urinary incontinent women after menopause with and without estrogen replacement therapy, and from comparable controls. All the stress-incontinent women underwent urodynamic investigation. In the specimens, collagen concentration, measured as hydroxyproline, and the degree of extractability by pepsin digestion, were quantified. Proteoglycan composition and concentration were analyzed using Alcian Blue precipitation, followed by electro-phoretic 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 structure 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: No significant difference in paraurethral connective tissue biochemistry or ultrastructure was registered between women with stress incontinence and controls. Estrogen replacement therapy resulted in a lower collagen concentration both between the controls (p = 0.02) and between the incontinent women (0.02). In the women with stress incontinence also the extractability by pepsin digestion was higher in the group with estrogen treatment (p = 0.004), indicating a decrease in cross-linking. The proteoglycan/collagen ratio was higher in the control group with estrogen treatment compared to untreated (p = 0.02), but no difference was found between estrogen treated and untreated incontinent women. The median collagen fibril diameter was 15% larger in the incontinent group of women without estrogen therapy compared to the control group and 5% larger when comparing the incontinent group on estrogen replacement therapy to the corresponding control group.</p><p>CONCLUSION: The extracellular matrix of paraurethral connective tissue in stress urinary incontinent women after menopause reacted differently to estrogen replacement therapy compared to continent controls. In contrast to incontinent women of fertile age no major changes in collagen metabolism were found in stress urinary incontinent women after menopause.</p>}},
  author       = {{Falconer, C and Ekman-Ordeberg, G and Blomgren, B and Johansson, O and Ulmsten, U and Westergren-Thorsson, G and Malmström, A}},
  issn         = {{0001-6349}},
  keywords     = {{Aged; Collagen; Connective Tissue; Estrogen Replacement Therapy; Female; Humans; Hydroxyproline; Middle Aged; Postmenopause; Proteoglycans; RNA, Messenger; Urethra; Urinary Incontinence, Stress; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{95--100}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Paraurethral connective tissue in stress-incontinent women after menopause}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0412.1998.770120.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1034/j.1600-0412.1998.770120.x}},
  volume       = {{77}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}