Abstract
Background: Uroplakins (UPs) are glycoproteins that play a specific role in the structure and function of the urothelium. Disorders which affect the normal expression of UPs are associated with the pathogenesis of infections and neoplasms of the urinary tract, primary vesicoureteral reflux, hydronephrosis and renal dysfunction. The appearance of uroplakins in the urine and/or plasma may be of potential importance in the detection of urinary tract dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to investigate uroplakin IIIa (UPIIIa) and uroplakin II (UPII) expression in patients with selected urological diseases. Methods: Plasma and urine from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urethral stricture (US), urinary tract infection (UTI) and urolithiasis were compared to healthy people without urological disorders. UPs concentrations were measured by the immunoenzymatic method. Results: In patients with BPH and UTI, concentrations of UPIIIa in urine and plasma, as well as UPII in urine, were statistically significantly higher than in the control groups. In the US group, only the plasma UPIIIa concentration differed significantly from the control. Conclusion: The conducted research shows that benign urological diseases may affect the state of the urothelium, as manifested by increased concentrations of both UPs in patients’ urine and plasma, especially in BPH and UTI.
Highlights
The study group consisted of patients with selected urinary diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urethral stricture (US), urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and urolithiasis treated at the Urology and Oncological Urology Clinic (Wroclaw Medical University) during the period from 2015 to 2016
The study groups consisted of patients with selected urological diseases of the urinary tract such as BPH, US, UTI and urolithiasis, and included men and women
Our research shows that changes in uroplakin IIIa (UPIIIa) concentrations in both plasma and urine are most noticeable in patients with BPH
Summary
The most superficial, single layer in direct contact with urine is made up of large umbrella cells. The main components of these umbrella cells are differentiated UPs [1,2]. Four types of UPs are known: UPIa, UPIb, UPII, UPIII. The feature most often taken into account when classifying UPs is the number of transmembrane domains in the molecule. UPIa and UPIb have four transmembrane domains and belong to the tetraspanin family. UPII and UPIII are simple, integral membrane proteins with a single transmembrane domain. UPs Ia, Ib and III are glycoproteins, and their sugar residues are very important elements in the synthesis process and are essential for their proper functioning. UPII and UPIII have one transmembrane domain with a C-terminus in the plasma of the cells and an
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