COMPLEMENT C3, EOSINOPHIL CATIONIC PROTEIN AND SYMPTOM EVALUATION IN INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

Interstitial cystitis is a painful, irritative voiding dysfunction of unknown etiology. In this study 19 women undergoing treatment for inte rstitial cystitis and 6 healthy women of similar age provided 2 urine and serum specimens with at least a S-month interval between collectio ns. Complement C3 and eosinophil cationic protein were determined by i mmunoassay methods, and symptom severity was quantitated with a visual analog scale questionnaire. Concentrations of complement C3 and eosin ophil cationic protein from either serum or urine were not significant ly different between interstitial cystitis patients and controls at ei ther determination, although substantial differences were noted even b etween individual initial and followup determinations. Normalization o f urine osmolality did not alter these results. Symptom severity score s were significantly greater in interstitial cystitis patients compare d to controls but failed to correlate with the concentrations of compl ement C3 or eosinophil cationic protein. Therefore, the hypothesis tha t complement C3 and eosinophil cationic protein may be etiological fac tors of interstitial cystitis is not supported.