OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of collagen type IV and estrogen receptor in the posterior vaginal wall and uterosacral ligament from women with pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence compared to healthy controls.
METHODS:
Twenty-five women who were admitted to Ege University Medical Faculty Gynecology Department between May 2003-January 2005 for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence (n=14) and the control patients with neither pelvic floor dysfunction nor pelvic organ prolapse (n=11) were included for this study. The tissue samples were obtained from the uterosacral ligament and the vaginal wall next to the cervix after the hysterectomy (vaginal or abdominal route). The samples were evaluated qualitatively by immunohistochemistry for collagen type IV and estrogen receptor expressions.
RESULTS:
The mean staining rates of estrogen receptor in vaginal wall and uterosacral ligament samples were not different significantly between the study and control groups (p=0.22, p=0.48; respectively); the mean staining scores of collagen type IV were not significantly different, either (p=0.33, p=0.53; respectively). There were no significant differences between collagen type IV and estrogen receptor expression values obtained from the biopsies of the uterosacral ligament and the vaginal wall (p=0.08, p=0.96; respectively). The collagen type IV expression values showed significant positive correlation between the uterosacral ligament and the vaginal wall (r=0.397, p=0.049). And also a significant positive correlation was found in estrogen receptor values between the uterosacral ligament and the vaginal wall (r=0.489, p=0.013).
CONCLUSION:
Estrogen receptors and collagen type IV expressions were not different between the healthy controls and patients with pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.
Keywords: Estrogen receptor, collagen type IV, pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary incontinence