Is interstitial cystitis an infectious disease?

Abstract

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder of unknown aaetiology. Although several investigators have attempted to identify an infectious cause for IC, none has yet been found. Our own studies to search for an infectious cause discovered instead, a toxic factor in the urine of approximately 95% of IC patients that is made by and inhibits, the normal proliferation of bladder epithelial cells. Additional research is necessary to determine whether this factor is encoded by the eucaryotic cells themselves or an unidentified intracellular microorganism.