Alternate occurrence of allergic disease and an unusual form of interstitial cystitis.

BACKGROUND

It has been postulated that interstitial cystitis can be induced by an allergy. This is partly based on the observation that many patients with interstitial cystitis also have allergic diseases. In this study, an allergic evaluation was conducted on patients with interstitial cystitis complicated by bronchial asthma, a typical allergic disease.

METHODS

Clinical histories were obtained and biopsy specimens from the vesical walls of the study patients were examined histologically. Cutaneous tests and IgE radioallergosorbent tests (RAST) were performed. Further, intravesical provocation tests were carried out using IgE RAST-positive antigens, and histamine release assays were performed on the vesical biopsy specimens using anti-IgE antibodies.

RESULTS

Five of 6 patients alternately exhibited symptoms of allergic disease and bladder symptoms. The eosinophil and mast cell counts in the vesical biopsy specimens of these 5 patients were increased. Furthermore, an intravesical provocation test performed using the IgE RAST-positive antigen was positive in 4 patients. The mean vesical biopsy specimen histamine release was 17.7% for patients with interstitial cystitis with bronchial asthma which was significantly higher than that for interstitial cystitis patients without bronchial asthma (8.9%) or the control group (4.5%). The prognosis of patients with interstitial cystitis with allergic complications was relatively good.

CONCLUSION

Patients with bronchial asthma exhibited hypersensitivity both generally and locally in the bladder. The alternation phenomenon was observed between the hypersensitive organs.