Fibrin glue versus martius flap interpositioning in the repair of complicated obstetric vesicovaginal fistula. A prospective multi-institution randomized trial.

AIMS: To examine the efficacy of using fibrin glue (FG) as an interpositioning layer in the repair of complicated vesioovaginal fistulae (VVFe) as compared to the classical repair using martius flaps (Ml'). METHODS: The study was conducted in 3 African institutions. Forty female patients with complicated VVFs were randomized into 2 groups. Group A were repaired anatomically using FG as interpositioning layer. Group B were repaired anatomically using MF as an interpositioning layer. FG used in this study was prepared from patients own blood. Complicating factors were recurrence, local moderate to severe fibrosis, fistula location involving the bladder neck, and or size of the fistola being more than 1.5 cm in its largest diameter. Patients were evaluated after 2 weeks, one month and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Thirty eight patients were evaluable as 2 patients, one from each group, lost to follow-up. Patient demographics were not different between the two study groups. The frequency of occurrence of complicating factors was not different between the 2 groups. Thirteen of group A and eleven from group B were rendered dry and that was maintained for as long as they were followed-up. The difference in the outcome was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The use of FG as an interpositioning layer during the vaginal anatomical repair of complicated VVF appears to be of great value as an alternative to the use of MF interpositioning. Decreasing the operative time and adding simplicity to the already complicated procedure are additional values of using this procedure. Neurourol. Urodynam. 28:438-441, 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Diagnostic value of urinary molecular markers in bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: In an attempt to find a more sensitive and specific non-invasive diagnostic assay for the detection of bladder cancer cells, the authors assayed the exfoliated cells from patient's voided urine and bladder washing fluids for the presence of telomerase, an enzyme that maintains a cell's chromosomal length, metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which has been associated with tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Their results were compared with both voided urine cytology (VUC) and bladder wash cytology (BWC) for the detection of bladder cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors used preoperative voided morning urine samples from 110 subjects for telomerase, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and cytology. Bladder wash samples were obtained for telomerase and cytology. Of 110 cases 73 were histologically diagnosed as bladder cancer, whereas the remaining 16 had benign urological disorders. A group of 21 healthy volunteers were also enrolled in this study. Cystoscopy was done for all patients as the reference standard for the identification of bladder cancer. Biopsy of any suspicious lesion was performed for histopathological examination. RESULTS: Receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal threshold values for telomerase activity in urine, bladder wash and MMP-9 [0.05, 0.088 and 0.51 (ng/ml), respectively]. The levels and the positivity rates of telomerase activity and MMP-9 were significantly higher in the malignant group compared to either the benign group or normal controls. Bladder cancer patients with positive cytology revealed positive telomerase activity in urine, bladder wash, and MMP-9 in 92%, 87% and 61%, respectively. Also, these positive rates were significantly higher in bilharzial bladder cancer cases (88%, 89%, 69%, respectively) compared to non-bilharzial cases (50%, 62.5%, 50%). The overall sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 88.6%, 86.3% and 78.3% for telomerase activity in urine, and in bladder wash, respectively. 66.6% and 80% for MMP-9, 58.5% and 100% for voided urine cytology and 64.4% and 100% for bladder wash cytology. Combined sensitivity of VUC with the 2 biomarkers together was higher than either combined sensitivity of VUC with one of the biomarkers or than that of the biomarker alone. CONCLUSION: Urinary telomerase and MMP-9 had superior sensitivities over VUC; moreover, combined use of these markers increased the sensitivity of cytology from 58.46% to 95%. The higher sensitivities of markers in bilharzial bladder cancer than non-bilharzial type highlight their clinical utility in screening patients with urinary bilharziasis.

Comparison of telomerase activity and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in voided urine and bladder wash samples as a useful diagnostic tool for bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of telomerase in urine, and bladder wash and also the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in urine, compared with voided urine cytology (VUC) and bladder wash cytology (BWC) for the detection of bladder cancer cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 110 subjects provided a single preoperative voided morning urine sample for telomerase, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and cytology. Bladder wash samples were obtained for telomerase and cytology. Cystoscopy was done for all patients as the reference standard for the identification of bladder cancer. Biopsy of any suspicious lesion was performed for histopathological examination. Of 110 cases 73 were histologically diagnosed as bladder cancer, whereas the remaining 16 had benign urological disorders. A group of 21 healthy volunteers were also enrolled in this study. RESULTS: The optimal threshold values for telomerase activity in urine, bladder wash and MMP-9 were calculated by receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) curves as 0.05, 0.088 and 0.51 (ng/ml), respectively. The levels and the positivity rates of the 2 parameters were significantly higher in the malignant group compared to either the benign group or normal controls. Of the entire group, telomerase activity in urine, bladder wash, and MMP-9 were positive in 92%, 87% and 61%, respectively in bladder cancer patients with positive cytology. Moreover, these positive rates for them were significantly higher in bilharzial bladder cancer cases (88%, 89%, 69%, respectively) compared to non-bilharzial cases (50%, 62.5%, 50%). The overall sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 88.6%, 86.3% and 78.3% for telomerase activity in urine, and in bladder wash, respectively; 66.6% and 80% for MMP-9 and 58.5% and 100% for voided urine cytology and 64.4% and 100% for bladder wash cytology. Combined sensitivity of VUC with the 2 biomarkers together was higher than either combined sensitivity of VUC with one of the biomarkers or than that of the biomarker alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that urinary telomerase and MMP-9 had superior sensitivities over VUC. The combined use of markers increased the sensitivity of cytology from 58.46% to 95%. The higher sensitivities of markers in bilharzial bladder cancer than non-bilharzial type highlight their clinical utility in screening patients with urinary bilharziasis.

Comparative evaluation of the nuclear matrix protein, fibronectin, urinary bladder cancer antigen and voided urine cytology in the detection of bladder tumors.

PURPOSE: We evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of nuclear matrix protein-22 (NMP22, Matritech, Newton, Massachusetts), fibronectin and urinary bladder cancer antigen (UBC, IDL Biotech, Borlange, Sweden) compared with voided urine cytology in the detection of bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 168 patients provided a single voided urine sample for NMP22, fibronectin an ideal monoclonal for urinary bladder cancer and cytology before cystoscopy. Cystoscopy was done for all patients as the reference standard for identification of bladder cancer. Biopsy of any suspicious lesion was performed for histopathological examination. Of the 168 cases 100 were histologically diagnosed as bladder cancer, whereas the remaining 68 had benign urological disorders. A group of 47 healthy volunteers were also enrolled in this study. Voided urine was evaluated by NMP22, fibronectin and UBC, and their values were expressed relative to mg. creatinine. RESULTS: The optimal threshold values for NMP22, fibronectin and UBC were calculated by receiver operator characteristics curves as 27 units per mg. creatinine, 198 mg./mg. creatinine and 13 ng./mg. creatinine, respectively. The levels and positive rates of the 3 parameters were significantly higher in the malignant group compared to either the benign group or normal controls. Of the entire group NMP22, fibronectin and UBC were positive in 93.2%, 91% and 68.2%, respectively in bladder cancer cases with positive cytology. Moreover, these positive rates were significantly higher in bilharzial bladder cancer cases (58.8%, 67.5%, 58.8%, respectively) compared to nonbilharzial cases (35.6%, 36.3%, 31.1%). Overall sensitivity and specificity were 85% and 91.3% for NMP22, 83% and 82.6% for fibronectin, 67% and 80.8% for UBC and 44% and 100% for voided urine cytology. Combined sensitivity of voided urine cytology with the 3 biomarkers together was higher than either combined sensitivity of voided urine cytology with 1 of the biomarkers or than that of the biomarker alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that NMP22 and fibronectin had superior sensitivities compared to UBC and voided urine cytology, while NMP22 and voided urine cytology had the highest specificities. The combined use of markers increased the sensitivity of cytology from 44% to 95.3%. The higher sensitivities of markers in bilharzial than nonbilharzial bladder cancer highlight their clinical use in screening patients with urinary bilharziasis.