Basic Science: Stones
Moderated Poster Session
MP2-11 - Correlation of the expression of COX-2 and TNF-α mRNA to severity of ureteral wall lesions
Thursday, September 20
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Room 242B
Presenting Author(s)
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Author(s)
FS
KA
HJ
Helene Jung
Urologist
Lillebaelt Hospital, Urology, Vejle, Denmark
MP
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Introduction & Objective : Pro-inflammatory mediators cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been shown to be significantly upregulated in ureteral wall tissue after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) using ureteral access sheaths (UAS). The objective was to examine if upregulation of COX-2 and TNF-α mRNA during usage of UAS is affected by the occurrence or severity of ureteral wall lesions.
Methods : UAS sized 13/15 Fr. were inserted bilaterally in the ureters of laboratory pigs (55kg). After removal, ureters were excised in vivo between the uretero-pelvic junction and the uretero-vesical junction. Embedded in paraffin 4 µm thick sections were step sectioned at 250-300 µm intervals and haematoxylin and eosin (HE) stained. Histopathological scoring of ureteral wall lesions was subsequently performed according to the Post-Ureteroscopic-Lesion-Scale (PULS). Tissue samples adjacent to lesion sites were snap frozen for q-PCR analysis of COX-2 and TNF-α mRNA.
Results : 86 observed histopathological lesions paired with adjacent COX-2 and TNF-α analysed tissue were divided into three groups: no lesion, superficial lesion (grade 1) and severe lesion (grade 2 or worse). In 9 cases there were no lesions, in 62 cases there were superficial lesions and in 15 cases there were severe lesions (grade 2 or worse). There was a trend toward higher COX-2 mRNA expression levels with higher PULS lesion severity (p=0.10; Pearsons Chi-squared median test). Regarding TNF-α there was no correlation between expression and PULS grade (p=0.66; Pearsons Chi-squared median test).
Conclusions : The up-regulation of COX-2 and TNF-α mRNA was not significantly affected by occurrence or severity of ureteral wall lesions.