EarlyTect BCD, a Streamlined PENK Methylation Test in Urine DNA, Effectively Detects Bladder Cancer in Patients with Hematuria.

The current noninvasive diagnostic approaches for detecting bladder cancer (BC) often exhibit limited clinical performance, especially for the initial diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the validity of a streamlined urine-based PENK methylation test called EarlyTect BCD in detecting BC in patients with hematuria scheduled for cystoscopy in Korean and American populations. The test seamlessly integrates two steps, linear target enrichment and quantitative methylation-specific PCR within a single closed tube.

Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Intravesical OnabotulinumtoxinA Injections in Female Patients With Detrusor Overactivity With Detrusor Underactivity.

Purpose: We assessed the effectiveness and safety of using intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA; BOTOX) injection with a low dose (75 units) for treating urinary storage symptoms in patients with detrusor overactivity with detrusor underactivity (DODU) compared to using the standard 100 units of onabotA in patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods: This ambidirectional study included 121 female patients who received intravesical onabotA injections at our hospitals. A total of 87 patients with OAB and 34 patients with DODU were reviewed using a 3-day voiding diary, uroflowmetry, and questionnaires including the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, and Patient Perception of Bladder Condition.

Evaluation of Sensitive Urine DNA-Based PENK Methylation Test for Detecting Bladder Cancer in Patients with Hematuria.

Hematuria is a prevalent symptom associated with bladder cancer (BC). However, the invasiveness and cost of cystoscopy, the current gold standard for BC diagnosis in patients with hematuria, necessitate the development of a sensitive and accurate noninvasive test. This study introduces and validates a highly sensitive urine-based DNA methylation test.

Identification and validation of methylated PENK gene for early detection of bladder cancer using urine DNA.

Background: Early detection of bladder cancer (BCa) offers patients a favorable outcome and avoids the need for cystectomy. Development of an accurate and sensitive noninvasive BCa diagnostic test is imperative. DNA methylation is an early epigenetic event in the development of BCa.

Combination therapy with tamsulosin and traditional herbal medicine for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: A double-blinded, randomized, pilot clinical trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin and Hachimijiogan or Ryutanshakanto in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind method was used to determine the efficacy and safety of the combination or placebo at baseline and 4, 8, and 12 weeks of study. The International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life index, complete voiding diary, and National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index were studied.

Metformin and Sildenafil Attenuate Inflammation and Suppress Apoptosis After Ischemia/Reperfusion Injuries in Rat Urinary Bladder.

Purpose: Although metformin and sildenafil can protect various organs against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries, their effects and mechanisms of action in bladder I/R injuries remain unknown. This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of action of metformin and sildenafil against bladder I/R insults in rats.

Methods: One hundred male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, each of which contained 20 rats: a sham-operated group, a bladder I/R group, and bladder I/R groups treated with metformin, sildenafil, or both agents.

Impact of Percutaneous Nephrostomy on the Efficacy of in Situ Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Upper Ureteral Stones.

Purpose: To investigate whether a Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) has any impact on the success rate of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and to estimate the probability of stone-free in SWL patients with upper ureter stones.

Materials And Methods: Overall, 236 patients who underwent SWL for upper ureter stones between 2015 and 2019 were evaluated. Forty-nine patients who underwent PCN during SWL were identified.

Transobturator four-arms mesh in the surgical management of cystocele: a long-term follow-up.

We studied the long-term efficacy and safety of cystocele operation by polypropylene mesh. A total of 198 women with stage ≥2 cystocele who had anterior vaginal wall repair with transobturator four-arm polypropylene mesh during 2003 to 2015 were evaluated. Outcomes including clinical characteristics and complications were reviewed by extracting patient data from electronic medical records.

Machine learning prediction of stone-free success in patients with urinary stone after treatment of shock wave lithotripsy.

Background: The aims of this study were to determine the predictive value of decision support analysis for the shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) success rate and to analyze the data obtained from patients who underwent SWL to assess the factors influencing the outcome by using machine learning methods.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 358 patients who underwent SWL for urinary stone (kidney and upper-ureter stone) between 2015 and 2018 and evaluated the possible prognostic features, including patient population characteristics, urinary stone characteristics on a non-contrast, computed tomographic image. We performed 80% training set and 20% test set for the predictions of success and mainly used decision tree-based machine learning algorithms, such as random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting trees (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting method (LightGBM).

Expression of bladder α-adrenoceptor subtype after relief of partial bladder outlet obstruction in a rat model.

Purpose: Many patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia require treatment for persistent storage symptoms, even when the obstruction is successfully relieved by surgery. Previous studies identified a characteristic increase in α-adrenoceptor levels in the bladder in a bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) model. Here, we investigated the expression of α-adrenoceptor subtypes in the bladder after relief of partial BOO (pBOO) in a rat model.

Protectin DX ameliorates palmitate-induced hepatic insulin resistance through AMPK/SIRT1-mediated modulation of fetuin-A and SeP expression.

The role as well as the molecular mechanisms of protectin DX (PDX) in the prevention of hepatic insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, remains unknown. Therefore, the present study was designed to explore the direct impact of PDX on insulin resistance and to investigate the expression of fetuin-A and selenoprotein P (SeP), hepatokines that are involved in insulin signalling, in hepatocytes. Human serum levels of PDX as well as fetuin-A and SeP were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Oncological and Functional Outcomes of Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation and Partial Nephrectomy for T1a Renal Masses: A Retrospective Single-center 60 Month Follow-up Cohort Study.

Purpose: It remains unclear whether laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for primary treatment of small renal masses is similar to partial nephrectomy (PN) in terms of long-term oncological and renal function outcomes. We reviewed the long-term outcomes for patients with T1a renal masses treated with either laparoscopic RFA orPN.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective single-center study on 115 patients who were treated by laparoscopic RFA or PN for small (<4 cm) renal masses between January 2005 and October 2014 at Chungnam National University Hospital.

Increased expression of neuregulin 1 in the urothelium of rat bladder with partial bladder outlet obstruction.

Background: This study determined whether changes in the expression of neuregulin (NRG) 1, erbB2 tyrosine kinase (ErbB2) and the M2 muscarinic receptor in the urothelium and detrusor muscle of the rat bladder were associated with partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO).

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (body weight 250-300 g) were used and subdivided into control (n = 10) and PBOO groups (n = 20). PBOO was induced for 21 days, and the expression of NRG1, ErbB2 and M2 muscarinic receptor mRNA and protein was evaluated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting, respectively.

Combined effect of polymorphisms in type III 5-α reductase and androgen receptor gene with the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia in Korea.

We evaluated whether type III 5-alpha reductase (SRD5A3; steroid reductase 5-alpha 3) polymorphism was associated with susceptibility of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and the combined effects in BPH risk between the type of short tandem repeat (STR) in and the length of trinucleotide (CAG) repeats in androgen receptor () gene. We compared the length of AC repeats in STR region of gene and a CAG repeat in AR in 188 BPH patients who underwent transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) and 98 controls by polymerase chain reaction-based methods. We defined short type was less than 21 copies of AC repeats.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Efficacy of Anticholinergic Drugs in Patients Remaining Disease-Free After Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) change in patients with localized prostate cancer after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and examine the efficacy of anticholinergic drugs to treat patients suffering from storage symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Among 50 patients who underwent RRP for prostate cancer, 40 who did not undergo additional treatment that might affect their urination pattern were included in the analysis. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, and uroflowmetry were analyzed prior to RRP and 12 months after RRP.

Urinary APE1/Ref-1: A Potential Bladder Cancer Biomarker.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common urothelial cancers with still noticeable incidence rate. Early detection of BCa is highly correlated with successful therapeutic outcomes. We previously showed that apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (APE1/Ref-1) was expressed at an increased level in the serum of BCa patients when compared to the level in healthy controls.

Increased Expression of Neuregulin 1 and erbB2 Tyrosine Kinase in the Bladder of Rats With Cyclophosphamide-Induced Interstitial Cystitis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in expressions of neuregulin (NRG)1 and erbB2 tyrosine kinase (ErbB2) in bladders of rats with cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced interstitial cystitis (IC).

Methods: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the IC group (n=16) and the control group (n=8). After inducing IC with intraperitoneal CYP injection, expressions of NRG1 and ErbB2 were analyzed using western blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Allopurinol Protects against Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Injury in Rat Urinary Bladders.

Bladder ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and markedly elevates the risk of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Allopurinol is an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase (XO) and thus can serve as an antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress. Here, a rat model was used to assess the ability of allopurinol treatment to ameliorate the deleterious effects of urinary bladder I/R injury.

Expression of brain derived-neurotrophic factor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in the urothelium: relation with voiding function.

Background: We designed this experiment to elucidate the relationship between the expression of brain derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the expression of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and the development of overactive bladder (OAB). In our previous study, the urothelium was observed to be more than a simple mechanosensory receptor and was found to be a potential therapeutic target for OAB. Moreover, neuregulin-1 and BDNF were found to be potential new biomarkers of OAB.

Comparison of laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation and open partial nephrectomy in patients with a small renal mass.

Purpose: We have performed both open partial nephrectomy (OPN) and laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on selected patients since January 2007 and have been following these patients through serial laboratory assessments and computed tomography (CT). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate long-term oncologic outcomes and renal function status for laparoscopic RFA versus OPN at a minimum follow-up of 3 years.

Materials And Methods: A total of 55 patients with exophytic, single small renal masses were treated with either OPN (n=14) or laparoscopic RFA (n=41) by a single surgeon.

Is the Expression of Androgen Receptor Protein Associated With the Length of AC Repeats in the Type III 5-α Reductase Gene in Prostate Cancer Patients?

Purpose: Type III 5-α reductase (SRD5A3; steroid 5-α reductase 3) may be associated with the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of our study was to determine whether the length of AC repeats in the SRD5A3 gene is associated with the risk of PCa and the expression of androgen receptor (AR) protein in Korean men.

Materials And Methods: We compared the length of AC repeats in the short tandem repeat (STR) region of the SRD5A3 gene in 68 PCa patients and 81 control subjects by genotyping.

Expression of aquaporin-3 in ipsilateral rat kidney with unilateral partial ureteral obstruction.

Purpose: Aquaporin (AQP), a protein located in the cellular membrane, allows rapid passage of water across the cell membrane. Various AQP subtypes have been associated with ureteral obstruction. In particular, AQP3 has two functions: water and glycerol transport.