Systematic review of urinary biomarkers of female bladder outlet obstruction (fBOO)

Abstract

Objective: Diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in females is often challenging, not only because of the overlap in storage and voiding symptoms in women with various etiologies of lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction but also due to the lack of standardized urodynamic criteria to define the condition. There is an unmet need of biologic markers to evaluate BOO in females as an adjunct to other clinical criteria. We sought to elucidate the role of urinary biomarkers in female BOO. Material and methods: We performed a systematic review of studies involving urinary biomarkers in female BOO. The search was performed in PubMed. A total of 58 papers were retrieved and 2 were included for final analysis.Results: Currently, there are no validated biologic markers for female BOO available. Having a biomarker that can be obtained through a urine sample will be an invaluable tool to evaluate and counsel patients with LUT symptoms and possible BOO. The use of NGF as an indicator of BOO in female patients seems to be promising: NGF levels are elevated in women with BOO when compared with normal controls. Conclusions: We found that NGF levels may be applied as a useful biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of female patients with BOO symptoms. It will not completely replace other clinical diagnostic tools such as formal urodynamic testing but play a role as a supplement to it. Nevertheless, further studies should be conducted to establish NGF levels as a female BOO biomarker and a routine testing modality.

Urinary Oxidative Stress Biomarker Levels Might Be Useful in Identifying Functional Bladder Disorders in Women with Frequency and Urgency Syndrome

“…Urinary proteins had long been considered to have a diagnostic role in bladder dysfunction or bladder outlet dysfunctions [ 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]. However, owing to variations in urine collection, different renal conditions, and medical comorbidities, urine levels of biomarkers varied widely in the studies of OAB, IC/BPS, and DV-related BOO [ 9 ].…”

“…Urine contains proteins and is excreted from the kidney or bladder wall. Previous studies have found that some urinary cytokines, chemokines, and oxidative stress biomarkers are elevated in patients with overactive bladder (OAB), DO, IC/BPS, and DV [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Although urine-based biomarkers may provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic tools for the clinical assessment of LUTDs and treatment guidelines, the urine proteins currently found in women with different bladder disorders varied widely and are poorly reproducible [ 9 ].…”