Potential Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Overactive Bladder Patients: Urinary Nerve Growth Factor, Prostaglandin E2, and Adenosine Triphosphate

This study aimed to investigate potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of overactive bladder (OAB).

A total of 219 subjects were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: OAB subjects (n=189) and controls without OAB symptoms (n=30). Three-day voiding diaries and questionnaires were collected, and urinary levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), prostaglandin E2, and adenosine triphosphate were measured and normalized to urine creatinine (Cr). Baseline characteristics and urinary levels of markers were analyzed. A receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic performance of urinary markers. Urinary levels of markers according to subgroup and pathogenesis of OAB were evaluated. Correlation analyses were used to analyze the relationship between urinary levels of markers and voiding diary parameters and questionnaires.

There was no difference between the 2 groups with regards to age, sex ratio, or urine Cr (P>0.05). The urinary levels of NGF/Cr were higher in OAB subjects than in controls (P<0.001). Urinary NGF/Cr was a sensitive biomarker for discriminating OAB patients (area under the curve=0.741; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.79; P=0.001) in the ROC curve. The urinary levels of NGF/Cr were significantly higher in OAB subjects than in controls regardless of subgroup or pathogenesis. Correlation analysis demonstrated urinary urgency was significantly related to urinary NGF/Cr level (correlation coefficient, 0.156). Limitations include a relatively wide variation of urinary markers.

Urinary NGF is a potential biomarker that could serve as a basis for adjunct diagnosis of OAB.

International neurourology journal. 2017 Sep 12 [Epub]

Yoon Seok Suh, Kwang Jin Ko, Tae Heon Kim, Hyo Serk Lee, Hyun Hwan Sung, Won Jin Cho, Munjae Lee, Kyu-Sung Lee

Department of Urology, Center for Prostate Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital of National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea., Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea., Department of Urology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea., Department of Urology, Chosun University Hospital, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea., Department of Medical Device Management and Research, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.