Silodosin Improves Pain and Urinary Frequency in Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis Patients

Therapeutic Approaches for Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome; Management: Research Advances, Experimental Targets, and Future Directions

Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) is a painful chronic condition with persistent pain originating from the pelvis that often leads to detrimental lifestyle changes in the affected patients. The syndrome develops in both sexes, with an estimated prevalence of 5.7% to 26.6% worldwide. This narrative review summarizes currently recommended therapies for UCPPS, followed by the latest animal model findings and clinical research advances in the field. The diagnosis of UCPPS by clinicians has room for improvement despite the changes in the past decade aiming to decrease the time to treatment. Therapeutic approaches targeting growth factors (i.e., nerve growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor), amniotic bladder therapy, and stem cell treatments gain more attention as experimental treatment options for UCPPS. The development of novel diagnostic tests based on the latest advances in urinary biomarkers would be beneficial to assist with the clinical diagnosis of UCPPS. Future research directions should address the role of chronic psychologic stress and the mechanisms of pain refractory to conventional management strategies in UCPPS etiology. Testing the applicability of cognitive behavioral therapy in this cohort of UCPPS patients might be promising to increase their quality of life. The search for novel lead compounds and innovative drug delivery systems requires clinically relevant translational animal models. The role of autoimmune responses triggered by environmental factors is another promising research direction to clarify the impact of the immune system in UCPPS pathophysiology. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This minireview provides an up-to-date summary of the therapeutic approaches for UCPPS with a focus on recent advancements in the clinical diagnosis and treatments of the disease, pathophysiological mechanisms of UCPPS, signaling pathways, and molecular targets involved in pelvic nociception.

Intravesical Instillations of Hyaluronic Acid as First-Line Treatment in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: Use, Efficacy and Effects on Quality of Life

The efficacy of hyaluronic acid instillations as therapy for patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) has been demonstrated in some clinical studies, with response rates up to 70%. The aim of the study is to investigate the change in symptoms and quality of life in female patients with IC/BPS after intravesical instillations of hyaluronic acid used as first-line treatment. A retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted. Female patients, whose symptoms were compatible with the diagnosis of IC/BPS as defined by the International Continence Society, were treated with a variable number of intravesical instillations of a hyaluronic acid-based drug. Three validated questionnaires were administered by telephone to all patients, before the beginning of the treatment and 6 months after the last administration of the drug. A total of 50 patients with symptoms compatible with the diagnosis of IC/BPS were included in the study. The median number of instillations performed is 4. For all questionnaires, the median value was significantly reduced following treatment with intravesical instillations (p = 0.000). The present study has shown that intravesical hyaluronic acid treatment results in both statistically and clinically significant symptomatic improvement, thereby improving the quality of life of patients with IC/BPS.

Multimodal therapies and strategies for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome in Taiwan

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic disease characterized by bladder pain, frequency, and nocturia. The most common pathologies include chronic inflammation and bladder urothelium dysfunction. According to the bladder condition with or without Hunner's lesions, IC/BPS can be divided into "IC" in patients with Hunner's lesion (HIC) and "BPS" in those without Hunner's lesion (NHIC). Previous studies have reported greater central sensitization and interorgan cross-talk in patients with NHIC. Multimodal treatments have been recommended in clinical guidelines under the biopsychosocial model. The bladder-gut-brain axis has also been speculated, and multimodal therapies are necessary. Unfortunately, currently, no treatment has been reported durable for IC/BPS. Patients with IC/BPS usually experience anxiety, depression, holistic physical responses, and even threats to social support systems. The lack of durable treatment outcomes might result from inadequate diagnostic accuracy and differentiation of clinical phenotypes based on the underlying pathophysiology. Precision assessment and treatment are essential for optimal therapy under definite IC/BPS phenotype. This article reviewed currently available literature and proposed a diagnosis and treatment algorithm. Based on bladder therapy combined with suitable physical and psychological therapies, a well-grounded multimodal therapy and treatment algorithm for IC/BPS following a diagnostic protocol are indispensable.