You have accessJournal of UrologyInfections/Inflammation of the Genitourinary Tract: Interstitial Cystitis1 Apr 2011946 HERITABILITY OF INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS/PAINFUL BLADDER SYNDROME SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN: A TWIN STUDY Claire Yang, Eric Strachan, Niloofar Afari, Elizabeth Dansie, John Krieger, and Dedra Buchwald Claire YangClaire Yang Seattle, WA More articles by this author , Eric StrachanEric Strachan Seattle, WA More articles by this author , Niloofar AfariNiloofar Afari San Diego, CA More articles by this author , Elizabeth DansieElizabeth Dansie Seattle, WA More articles by this author , John KriegerJohn Krieger Seattle, WA More articles by this author , and Dedra BuchwaldDedra Buchwald Seattle, WA More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.02.891AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The etiology, pathophysiology, and risk factors for Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS) remain unclear. Most studies have used clinic populations that may not represent the overall IC/PBS population. To better understand risk factors for IC/PBS in the community, we conducted a classical twin study to determine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to IC/PBS symptoms. METHODS The University of Washington Twin Registry (UWTR) is a community-based registry of twins in Washington state with a current enrollment of 7,772 twins. From 2006 to 2008 the UWTR conducted a survey of all twins in the Registry (N = 5,220 twins). The survey included questions for women on IC/PBS-like symptoms: “Do you have pain, pressure or discomfort in the pelvis, groin or upper thighs that…” 1) “worsens when your bladder fills?” or 2) “is relieved or improved by emptying your bladder?” A third item asked about urinary frequency. IC/PBS-like cases were identified as responding “Yes” to the first question and “Yes” to at least one other item. To estimate the proportion of variance in IC/PBS-like symptoms due to genetic and environmental factors we constructed a model with additive genetic (A), common environment (C), and unique environment (E) effect estimates. Reduced models were constructed by removing parameters from the full ACE model and testing for goodness of fit. RESULTS 3,072 (59%) of the 5,220 twins returned surveys including 1,008 female-female pairs. A total of 118 (5.5%) twins reported IC/PBS-like symptoms. Of those with known zygosity, 10 twin pairs were concordant and 80 twin pairs were discordant for IC/PBS-like symptoms. Twins reporting IC/PBS symptoms were on average 42 years old; 85% were White; 82% had some education beyond high school; and 50% were married. The best fitting, most parsimonious model included additive genetic (A) effects that accounted for 31% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 3–51%) of variance and unique environment (E) effects that accounted for 69% (95% CI = 49–91%) of the variance in IC/PBS-like symptoms. CONCLUSIONS IC/PBS-like symptoms in women were moderately influenced by genetic factors and were predominantly influenced by unique environmental factors. This is the largest twin study on heritability of IC/PBS-like symptoms in a community sample. Future studies should focus on determining unique environmental factors that contribute to IC/PBS-like symptoms including psychological, social, and biological elements. © 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 185Issue 4SApril 2011Page: e379-e380 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Claire Yang Seattle, WA More articles by this author Eric Strachan Seattle, WA More articles by this author Niloofar Afari San Diego, CA More articles by this author Elizabeth Dansie Seattle, WA More articles by this author John Krieger Seattle, WA More articles by this author Dedra Buchwald Seattle, WA More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...