Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment

Our previous study showed that the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) may be the etiology for some patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS); hence, the current study aimed to investigate the urinary viral spectrum in patients with IC/BPS and the clinical efficacy of valacyclovir. Twe...

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Main Authors: Hann-Chorng Kuo, Chih-Wen Peng, Yuan-Hong Jiang, Jia-Fong Jhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-02-01
Series:Biomedicines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/3/522
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author Hann-Chorng Kuo
Chih-Wen Peng
Yuan-Hong Jiang
Jia-Fong Jhang
author_facet Hann-Chorng Kuo
Chih-Wen Peng
Yuan-Hong Jiang
Jia-Fong Jhang
author_sort Hann-Chorng Kuo
collection DOAJ
description Our previous study showed that the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) may be the etiology for some patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS); hence, the current study aimed to investigate the urinary viral spectrum in patients with IC/BPS and the clinical efficacy of valacyclovir. Twenty-eight patients were prospectively enrolled for valacyclovir 500 mg twice a day for 4 weeks. Urine samples were collected from IC/BPS patients and 30 controls. The primary outcome was the difference in the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, and secondary outcomes included changes in the urinary viral spectrum and urinary inflammatory cytokine level (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05094414). Urinary EBV was detected in 14.2% IC/BPS patients but not in the controls. Urinary John Cunningham virus and BK virus were detected in 18 (64.3%) and 2 (7.1%) patients with IC/BPS, respectively, with similar prevalences noted for the controls. No cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus, or herpes simplex virus was detected in the urine samples. The VAS pain score in patients with IC/BPS significantly decreased after 4 weeks (from 7.5 [5.52–9.0] to 5 [1.5–6.0], <i>p</i> = 0.0003). Urinary EBV was undetectable in any sample after valacyclovir treatment, and the decreases in urinary interleukin (IL)-1β (from 0.66 [0.55–0.82] pg/mL to 0.58 [0.55–0.64] pg/mL, <i>p</i> = 0.0034), IL-8 (from 6.81 [2.38 to 29.1] pg/mL to 4.33 [1.53–11.04] pg/mL, <i>p</i> = 0.0361), IL-10 (from 1.06 [0.94–1.18] pg/mL to 0.92 [0.88–1.02], <i>p</i> = 0.0086), and tumor necrosis factor-α (from 1.61 [1.50–1.72] pg/mL to 1.50 [1.44–1.55] pg/mL, <i>p</i> = 0.0079) were significant. Valacyclovir could relieve bladder pain, eliminate urinary EBV, and reduce bladder inflammation.
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spelling doaj.art-c35fd6c68a6d4f78ac5f40938de3c5962024-03-27T13:22:41ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592024-02-0112352210.3390/biomedicines12030522Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir TreatmentHann-Chorng Kuo0Chih-Wen Peng1Yuan-Hong Jiang2Jia-Fong Jhang3Department of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 640, TaiwanDepartment of Life Science, National Dong Hwa University, Shoufeng 974, TaiwanDepartment of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 640, TaiwanDepartment of Urology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 640, TaiwanOur previous study showed that the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) may be the etiology for some patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS); hence, the current study aimed to investigate the urinary viral spectrum in patients with IC/BPS and the clinical efficacy of valacyclovir. Twenty-eight patients were prospectively enrolled for valacyclovir 500 mg twice a day for 4 weeks. Urine samples were collected from IC/BPS patients and 30 controls. The primary outcome was the difference in the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, and secondary outcomes included changes in the urinary viral spectrum and urinary inflammatory cytokine level (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05094414). Urinary EBV was detected in 14.2% IC/BPS patients but not in the controls. Urinary John Cunningham virus and BK virus were detected in 18 (64.3%) and 2 (7.1%) patients with IC/BPS, respectively, with similar prevalences noted for the controls. No cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus, or herpes simplex virus was detected in the urine samples. The VAS pain score in patients with IC/BPS significantly decreased after 4 weeks (from 7.5 [5.52–9.0] to 5 [1.5–6.0], <i>p</i> = 0.0003). Urinary EBV was undetectable in any sample after valacyclovir treatment, and the decreases in urinary interleukin (IL)-1β (from 0.66 [0.55–0.82] pg/mL to 0.58 [0.55–0.64] pg/mL, <i>p</i> = 0.0034), IL-8 (from 6.81 [2.38 to 29.1] pg/mL to 4.33 [1.53–11.04] pg/mL, <i>p</i> = 0.0361), IL-10 (from 1.06 [0.94–1.18] pg/mL to 0.92 [0.88–1.02], <i>p</i> = 0.0086), and tumor necrosis factor-α (from 1.61 [1.50–1.72] pg/mL to 1.50 [1.44–1.55] pg/mL, <i>p</i> = 0.0079) were significant. Valacyclovir could relieve bladder pain, eliminate urinary EBV, and reduce bladder inflammation.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/3/522interstitial cystitistreatmentpathogenesisetiologyinfection
spellingShingle Hann-Chorng Kuo
Chih-Wen Peng
Yuan-Hong Jiang
Jia-Fong Jhang
Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment
Biomedicines
interstitial cystitis
treatment
pathogenesis
etiology
infection
title Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment
title_full Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment
title_fullStr Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment
title_full_unstemmed Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment
title_short Urinary Viral Spectrum in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Clinical Efficacy of Valacyclovir Treatment
title_sort urinary viral spectrum in patients with interstitial cystitis bladder pain syndrome and the clinical efficacy of valacyclovir treatment
topic interstitial cystitis
treatment
pathogenesis
etiology
infection
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/3/522
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