Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Immunohistochemical detection of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the normal urinary bladder and in pseudomembranous trigonitis

  • Published:
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

According to recent studies showing the presence of estrogens receptors (ERs) in the human female lower urinary tract, we performed ER and progestorene receptor (PR) assays in fresh frozen and paraffin embedded biopsies taken from the urinary bladder. Fourteen females undergoing endoscopy during staging for gynecological cancer (endometrium, cervix, ovary) and 15 women complaining of recurrent abacterial cystitis (pseudomembranous trigonitis) were enrolled in the study as Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. After informed consent, they were submitted to cystoscopy, during which two biopsies were taken: one on the trigonum and the other on the bladder lateral wall. ERs were identified in both groups only in the trigonum (7/14 patients in Group 1 and 8/15 in Group 2), whereas the bladder lateral wall always stained negative. PRs were found at both sites in both groups (11/14 cases on the trigonum and 7/14 on the bladder lateral wall in Group 1; 11/15 and 2/15 respectively in Group 2). Morphological localization of PRs showed intense omogeneous staining in the nuclei of the stromal fibroblasts too. A clear correspondence between the presence of steroid receptors at the squamous metaplasia of the trigonum was observed. These data are discussed speculating about a possible endocrine pathogenesis of pseudomembranous trigonitis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Iosif CS., Batra S., Ek A., Astedt B. Estrogen receptors in the human female lower urinary tract. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 141: 817, 1981.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ingelman-Sündberg A., Rosen J., Gustafsson S.A., Carlstrom K. Cytosol estrogen receptors in the urogenital tissues in stress-incontinent women. Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. 60: 585, 1981.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Stephenson T.J., Henry L, Harris S.C., Giri D.D., Fox M., Underwood J.CE. Pseudomembranous trigonitis of the bladder: hormonal aetiology. J. Clin. Pathol. 42: 922, 1989.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Norohna R.F.X., Rao B.R. Sex hormone receptors in localized and advanced transitional cell carcinoma of urinary tract in humans. Urology 28: 401, 1986.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Batra S., Iosif CS. Progesterone receptors in the female lower urinary tract. J. Urol. 138: 1301, 1987.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Punnonen R., Lukola A., Puntala P. Lack of estrogen and progestin receptors in the urinary bladder of women. Horm. Metab. Res. 15: 464, 1983.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bussolati G., Tizzani A., Casetta G., Cassoni P., Pacchioni D., Piana P., Revelli A., Massobrio M. Detection of estrogen receptors in the trigonum and urinary bladder with an immunohistochemical technique. Gynecol. Endocrinol. 4: 205, 1990.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Shintaku I.P., Said J.W. Detection of estrogen receptors with monoclonal antibodies in routinely processed formalin-fixed paraffin sections of breast carcinoma. Am. J.Clin. Pathol. 87: 161, 1987.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Salmon U.J., Walter R.I., Geist S.H. The use of estrogens in the treatment of dysuria and incontinence in postmenopausal women. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 42: 845, 1941.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Walter S., Wolf H., Barlebo H., Jensen H.K. Urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women treated with estrogens. Urol. Int. 33: 135, 1978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Rud T. The effects of estrogens and gestagens on the urethral pressure profile in urinary continent and stress incontinent women. Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. 59: 265, 1980.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bergstrom H. Estriol in recurrent urinary tract infection in elderly women? Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. 140 (Suppl.): 79, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Brandberg A., Mellström D., Samsioe G. Low dose oral estriol treatment in elderly women with urogenital infections. Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. 140 (Suppl.): 33, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Batra S., Iosif CS. Female urethra: a target for estrogen action. J. Urol. 129: 418, 1983.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Larsson B., Andersson K.E., Batra A., Mattiasson A., Sjogren C. Effect of estradiol on norepinephrine-induced contraction, alpha adrenoceptor number and norepinephrine content in the female rabbit urethra. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 229: 557, 1984.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Schreiter F., Fuchs P., Stockamp K. Estrogenic sensitivity of α-receptors in the urethra musculature. Urol. Int. 31: 13, 1976.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Bergman A., Karram M.M., Bhatia N.N. Changes in urethral cytology following estrogen administration. Gynecol. Obstet. Invest. 29: 211, 1990.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Raz S., Zeigler M., Caine M. The effect of progesterone on the adrenergic receptors of the urethra. Br. J. Urol. 45: 131, 1973.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. McCarty K.S. Jr., Miller L.S., Cox E.B., Konrath J., McCarty K.S. Sr. Estrogen receptor analyses. Correlation of biochemical and immunohistochemical methods using monoclonal antireceptor antibodies. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 109: 716, 1985.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Snjiders M.P., De Goeji A.F., Koudstaal J., Rousch M.J., Scheres H.M., Stoot J.E., Bosman FT. Is immunohistochemical analysis of oestrogen and progesterone receptors in endometrial carcinoma superior to radioligand binding assays? J. Pathol. 161: 129, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Cohen C., Unger E.R., Sgoutas D., Bradley N., Chenngis M. Automated immunohistochemical estrogen receptor in fixed embedded breast carcinomas. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 92: 669, 1989.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Young B.W. Lower urinary tract obstruction in childhood. Lea and Fabiger, Philadelphia, 1972, p. 15.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Long E.D., Shepherd R.T. The incidence and significance of vaginal metaplasia of the bladder trigone in adult women. Br. J. Urol. 55: 189, 1983.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Jost S.P., Gosling J.A., Dixon J.S. The fine structure of human pseudomembranous trigonitis. Br. J. Urol. 64: 472, 1989.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Burns R.K. Jr. Origin and differentiation of epithelium of the urogenital sinus in the opossum. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. 47: 106, 1941.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Packham D.A. The epithelium lining of the female trigone and urethra. Br. J. Urol. 43: 201, 1971.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Widran J., Sanchez R., Gruhn J. Squamous metaplasia of the bladder; a study of 450 patients. J. Urol. 112: 319, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Monsonego J., Magdelenat H., Catalan F., Coscas Y., Zerat L., Sastre X. Estrogen and progesterone receptors in cervical human papillomavirus related lesions. Int. J. Cancer 48: 533, 1991.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Oncologia Umana, Divisione di Anatomia Patologica, University of Torino, Torino, Italy

    D. Pacchioni & G. Bussolati

  2. Istituto di Ginecologia e Ostetricia, Cattedra D, University of Torino, Torino, Italy

    Alberto Revelli MD, P. Cassoni & M. Massobrio

  3. lstituto di Nefrourologia, University of Torino, Torino, Italy

    G. Casetta, P. Piana & A. Tizzani

Authors
  1. D. Pacchioni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alberto Revelli MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Casetta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. Cassoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P. Piana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. Tizzani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. G. Bussolati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M. Massobrio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pacchioni, D., Revelli, A., Casetta, G. et al. Immunohistochemical detection of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the normal urinary bladder and in pseudomembranous trigonitis. J Endocrinol Invest 15, 719–725 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03347639

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03347639

Key-words

Search

Navigation