ROLE OF THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

Interstitial cystitis (IC) patients present with irritative and painfu l bladder symptoms and are diagnosed clinically by their symptoms, neg ative urine cultures, absence of other diseases, and cystoscopic findi ngs of glomerulations and/or ulcers. The histological evaluation usual ly is described as nonspecific chronic inflammation. Although numerous theories of pathogenesis have been proposed, the etiology of IC is un known. The hypothesized causes of IC include infectious, lymphovascula r obstruction and neurogenic, endocrinologic, psychoneurotic, inflamma tory (especially mast cells), and autoimmune pathologies. In this Revi ew we discuss the evidence supporting a role for autoimmunity in IC an d link the mast cell to the expression of the disease. Moreover, we di scuss newly developed animal models that may provide insight into the etiology of IC. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.