Multicentre International Study for the Prevention with iAluRil of Radio-induced Cystitis (MISTIC): A Randomised Controlled Study

Glycosaminoglycan Replacement Therapy with Intravesical Instillations of Combined Hyaluronic Acid and Chondroitin Sulfate in Patients with Recurrent Cystitis, Post-radiation Cystitis and Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Defects in the glycosaminoglycan layer (GAG) of the bladder mucosa have been identified as a significant contributor to the pathogenesis and clinical progression of chronic inflammatory diseases of the bladder, such as post-radiation cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and recurrent urinary tract infections. This narrative review aims to explore the contemporary evidence on the role of GAG reconstitution with intravesical installations of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate in the management of those patients, with a goal to provide valuable insights for clinical practice. The reviewed studies consistently demonstrate that GAG reconstitution can result in varying degrees of clinical improvement in patients with post-radiation cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and recurrent urinary tract infections, and is associated with a very favorable safety profile. While the available evidence is growing, its level is still limited, mainly by relatively low number of randomized controlled trials, with small sample sizes. Further research with larger, well-designed trials is needed to solidify the findings and optimize the clinical application of GAG reconstitution.

[Genitourinary complications after pelvic radiotherapy: Diagnosis and management]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to present the different genitourinary complications following pelvic radiotherapy as well as their assessment and treatments.

METHODS

A review of literature was conducted using Medline/Pubmed database without period restriction. In order to write this article, we also use the 2016 AFSOS, SFRO and AFU recommendations.

RESULTS

On the one hand, early side effects are common and mild. The symptomatic treatments available generally provide effective relief to patients. On the other hand, late adverse effects need long and complex care. Its side effects alter the quality of life and can be life-threatening. The effects of radiotherapy are irreversible. Except hyperbaric oxygen therapy and hyaluronic acid/chondroitin sulfate instillations, treatments remain symptomatic. Urethrovesical fibroscopy is essential in cases of gross hematuria, and urodynamic assessment (or videourodynamic) can be used in cases of severe vesicosphincter disorders. Pharmacological treatments are less effective than in non-radiation patients, and the morbidity of surgical treatments is higher in this population.

CONCLUSION

Genitourinary complications after pelvic radiotherapy are frequent and mild in the early phase but rare and severe in the late phase. Their management is based on a vast diagnostic and therapeutic arsenal, but the treatments are only symptomatic, and the sequelae of radiotherapy remains, to date, irreversible.

Role of Turmeric and Curcumin in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for thousands of years for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases. Curcumin is just one of >200 ingredients in turmeric. Almost 7000 scientific papers on turmeric and almost 20,000 on curcumin have been published in PubMed. Scientific reports based on cell culture or animal studies are often not reproducible in humans. Therefore, human clinical trials are the best indicators for the prevention and treatment of a disease using a given agent/drug. Herein, we conducted an extensive literature survey on PubMed and Scopus following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The keywords "turmeric and clinical trials" and "curcumin and clinical trials" were considered for data mining. A total of 148 references were found to be relevant for the key term "turmeric and clinical trials", of which 70 were common in both PubMed and Scopus, 44 were unique to PubMed, and 34 were unique to Scopus. Similarly, for the search term "curcumin and clinical trials", 440 references were found to be relevant, of which 70 were unique to PubMed, 110 were unique to Scopus, and 260 were common to both databases. These studies show that the golden spice has enormous health and medicinal benefits for humans. This Review will extract and summarize the lessons learned about turmeric and curcumin in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases based on clinical trials.

Oral Preparation of Hyaluronic Acid, Chondroitin Sulfate, Curcumin, and Quercetin (Ialuril® Soft Gels) for the Prevention of LUTS after Intravesical Chemotherapy

Intravesical chemotherapy may cause chemical cystitis and related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an oral preparation of hyaluronic acid (HA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), curcumin, and quercetin (Ialuril® Soft Gels) to reduce the severity of LUTS in patients with a history of bladder cancer (BCa) undergoing intravesical chemotherapy. We designed a monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Patients referred to our institute between November 2016 and March 2018 were enrolled. All subjects had non-muscle-invasive BCa and received intravesical chemotherapy with mitomycin C (MMC). Patients were randomized 1:1 in two groups (intervention vs. control). All subjects underwent oral administration (Ialuril® Soft Gels or placebo) starting one week before the first weekly instillation and ending 30 days after the last one, subsequently starting one week before each monthly instillation and ending 14 days after it. International prostate symptom score (IPSS) and 0-100 visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to assess the efficacy of the treatment. Adverse events were also described. Patients were evaluated at baseline and after 1, 4, 7, and 13 months of intravesical chemotherapy. A total of 34 patients were enrolled. The median IPSS score was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group at 4 (13 vs. 17 points; p = 0.038), 7 (10 vs. 18 points; p < 0.001), and 13 (10 vs. 17 points; p = 0.002) months. The median VAS score was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group at 7 (22 vs. 37 points; p = 0.021) and 13 (20 vs. 35 points; p = 0.024) months. No AE specifically related to supplement or placebo was recorded. Oral formulation of HA, CS, quercetin, and curcumin could be an effective and safe supportive therapy against chemical cystitis in patients receiving intravesical chemotherapy for BCa.

Efficacy of antimicrobial intravesical treatment for uncomplicated recurrent urinary tract infections: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Intravesical antimicrobials (IVA) provide a localized modality of treatment for recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs). Owing to the sporadic use of these treatments, we conducted a systematic review on the efficacy of IVA in the management of uncomplicated rUTIs.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted for all English language articles from inception to April 2021 utilizing the Cochrane and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards with the following databases: PubMed, OVID Embase, Biomed Central, and Scopus. References were cross-examined for further articles. Risk of bias was assessed in the articles included using the Cochrane and Joanna Briggs Institute tools.

RESULTS

The initial search resulting in 476 titles led to 15 full-text articles. Of the 13 in the final review (2 RCTs), 3 used gentamicin and 10 used hyaluronic acid IVA. These included 764 participants, mostly women, with a mean age range of 27-80 (median: 53.1). There was a reduction in UTI frequency in 12 out of 13 studies, with 10 studies showing a statistically significant decrease. Dosages of 80 mg of gentamicin per instillation and both 40 mg and 800 mg of hyaluronic acid per instillation were found to be effective in reducing the frequency of UTIs in most studies. Eleven participants reported gentamicin-resistant infections after IVA treatment. Despite high levels of bias in selected categories, the 13 studies were designated to be of high quality for inclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

The IVAs gentamicin and hyaluronic acid with chondroitin sulphate demonstrated efficacy in the management of uncomplicated rUTIs, mostly in women.

Intravesical instillation of high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate in radiation-induced cystitis: a prospective pilot study

PURPOSE

To assess the efficacy and safety of intravesical instillation of high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate (HMW-HA) for the treatment of radiation-induced cystitis.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was conducted in seven centers in France. Eligible patients with radiation-induced cystitis were recruited between April 2020 and March 2021. A sterile disposable 50 ml prefilled solution containing 0.16% (80 mg/50 mL) HMW-HA (INSTYLAN) was instilled weekly into the bladder. The treatment consisted of 6 sessions (V1 to V6). Outcomes were assessed 1 week (V7) and 4 weeks (V8) after the last session and were compared with baseline (V0). The primary endpoint was bladder pain, evaluated by a Questionnaire with 5 closed-ended response options. Secondary endpoints included changes from baseline for hematuria, urinary frequency, and the effect of urgencies on Quality of Life (QoL). Adverse events (AEs) were graded according to the CTCAE 3.0 classification.

RESULTS

A total of 30 participants were enrolled. The Intent-to-Treat analysis showed a significant reduction in pelvic pain intensity (- 45.81%, p < 0.001), hematuria (- 26.87%, p = 0.008), total 24 h voids (- 23.92%, p < 0.001) and the effect of urgencies on QoL (- 33.92%, p < 0.001) at V7. The improvement for each outcome remained stable during the post-therapeutic period between V7 and V8. Bladder instillation therapy was well-tolerated: two treatment-related AEs (6.6%) were reported corresponding to two grade 1 hematuria.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravesical instillation of HMW-HA appears to be effective in the treatment of radiation-induced cystitis. Further comparative studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm our preliminary results.