• International Consultation on IC - Rome, September 2004 / Forging an International Consensus: Progress in Painful Bladder Syndrome / Interstitial cystitis.
  Hanno P. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005;16(Suppl 1):S2-S34

• Cyclosporine A and pentosan polysulfate sodium for the treatment of interstitial cystitis: a randomized comparative study.
  Sairanen J, Tammela TL, Leppilahti M, et al. J Urol 2005;174:2235-8
  • in this prospective randomized - but not double blind - study, it was found that the clinical response rate was 75% for cyclosporine A compared to 19% for pentosan.

• Long-term results of amitriptyline treatment for interstitial cystitis.
  van Ophoven A, Hertle L. J Urol 2005;174:1837-40
  • the authors conclude that long-term administration of amitriptyline is a safe and effective treatment for IC, provided that the drug is used judiciously to minimize adverse effects

• Efficacy of prednisone for severe refractory ulcerative interstitial cystitis.
  Soucy F, Grégoire M. J Urol 2005;173:841-3

• Immunomodulators for treatment of interstitial cystitis. 
  Theoharides TC, Sant GR. Urology 2005;65:633-8
  • review article
  

• Safety and efficacy of concurrent application of oral pentosan polysulfate and subcutaneous low-dose heparin for patients with interstitial cystitis.
  van Ophoven A, Heinecke A, Hertle L. Urology 2005;66:707-11
  • the authors conclude that the concurrent administration of low-dose heparin and oral PPS appears to be a safe and efficacious treatment modality.

• The potassium sensitivity test: a predictor of treatment response in interstitial cystitis.
  Gupta SK, Pidcock L, Parr NJ. BJU Int 2005;96:1063-6
  • the authors conclude that the test helps to predict the response to treatment with glycosaminoglycan-substitution therapy.

• Preliminary results of suburothelial injection of botulinum A toxin in the treatment of chronic interstitial cystitis.
  Kuo HC. Urol Int 2005;75:170-4
  • the author concludes that the clinical result of suburothelial botulinum A toxin injection was disappointing; none of the patients was symptom free and only a limited improvement in bladder capacity and pain score was achieved in 2 patients.

• Treatment of interstitial cystitis with Cystistat: a hyaluronic acid product.
  Kallestrup EB, Jorgenssen SS, Nordling J, Hald T. Scand J Urol Nephrol 2005;39:143-7
  • in this 3-months prospective, unblinded, uncontrolled pilot study, 13 out of 20 patients (65%) responded to treatment (reduction of nocturia and pain and to lesser degree, the urinary frequency associated with IC).
  

• Intravesical resiniferatoxin for the treatment of interstitial cystitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial.
  Payne CK, Mosbaugh PG, et al. J Urol 2005;173:1590-4
  • single administration of resiniferatoxin at doses of 0.01 muM to 0.10 muM was not effective in patients with interstitial cystitis.
  

• Prospective, randomized, double-blind study of safety and tolerability of intravesical resiniferatoxin (RTX) in interstitial cystitis (IC).
  Chen TY, Corcos J, Camel M, et al. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005;16:293-7
  • RTX is an extremely potent analog of capsaicin, the major active principle of common red pepper...
  • improvement did not reach statistical significance in this small sample size phase 1 trial
  • the use of intravesical RTX in IC patients is associated with important tolerability issues

• Exogenous glycosaminoglycans coat damaged bladder surfaces in experimentally damaged mouse bladder.
  Kyker KD, Coffman J, Hurst RE. BMC Urol 2005;5:4
  • glycosaminoglycan administered intravesically does bind to damaged mouse bladder

full paper

• Randomized, double-blind, dose-ranging study of pentosan polysulfate sodium for interstitial cystitis. 
  Nickel JC, Barkin J, Forrest J, et al. (Elmiron Study Group). Urology 2005;65:654-8
  • for all three dosages of oral PPS (300, 600, and 900 mg), a clinically significant but similar response was demonstrated
  • the duration of therapy appears to be more important than the dosage
  • a limitation of this study is the lack of a placebo group
  

• Critical appraisal of dimethyl sulfoxide treatment for interstitial cystitis discomfort, side-effects and treatment outcome.
  Rossberger J, Fall M, Peeker R. Scand J Urol Nephrol 2005;39:73-7

• A randomized controlled trial of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin for treatment refractory interstitial cystitis.
  Mayer R, Propert KJ, Peters KM, et al. J Urol 2005;173:1186-91

• A pilot open label study of Cystoprotek(R) in interstitial cystitis.
  Theoharides TC, Sant GR. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2005;18:183-8

• Successful downregulation of bladder sensory nerves with combination of heparin and alkalinized lidocaine in patients with interstitial cystitis.
  Parsons CL. Urology 2005;65:45-8

• Modulating bladder neuro-inflammation: RDP58, a novel anti-inflammatory peptide, decreases inflammation and nerve growth factor production in experimental cystitis.
  Gonzalez RR, Fong T, Belmar N, et al. J Urol 2005;173:630-4

• A potential modality for interstitial cystitis: intravesical use of anti-inflammatory peptide RDP58.
  Luo Y. J Urol 2005;173:340

• A prospective, double-blind, randomized cross-over study evaluating changes in urinary pH for relieving the symptoms of interstitial cystitis.
  Nguan C, Franciosi LG, Butterfield NN, et al. BJU Int 2005;95:91-4
  • there was no difference in pain scores on instilling urine at physiological pH or sodium-phosphate buffered saline in IC patients.

• Do cystometric findings predict the results of intravesical hyaluronic acid in women with interstitial cystitis ?
  Daha LK, Riedl CR, Lazar D, et al. Eur Urol 2005;47:393-7

• Die stationäre urologische Rehabilitation bei interstitieller Cystitis.
  Vahlensieck W. Urologe A 2005;44:41-5 [article in German]

• Sacral Neuromodulation: Long-Term Experience of One Center.
  Elhilali MM, Khaled SM, Kashiwabara T, et al. Urology 2005;65:1114-7
  • the authors conclude that the long-term results of neuromodulation in patients presenting with urgency/frequency with and without urge incontinence were not maintained over time

• Intravesical heparin and peripheral neuromodulation on interstitial cystitis.
  Baykal K, Senkul T, Sen B, et al. Urol Int. 2005;74:361-4
  • the authors suggest that intravesical heparin and peripheral neuromodulation combination is an alternative for IC patients not responsive to other treatments

• Which anticholinergic drug for overactive bladder symptoms in adults.
  Hay-Smith J, Herbison P, Ellis G, Morris A. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 Issue 3. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

• Symptoms of voiding dysfunction: what do they really mean?
  Dietz HP, Haylen BT. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005;16:52-5

• Validation of the urgency perception scale.
  Cardozo L, Coyne KS, Versi E. BJU Int 2005;95:591-6

• Correlation between 2 interstitial cystitis symptom instruments.
  Sirinian E, Azevedo K, Payne CK. J Urol 2005;173:835-40

• Evaluation of urinary and general symptoms and correlation with other clinical parameters in interstitial cystitis patients.
  Porru D, Tinelli C, Gerardini M, et al. Neurourol Urodyn 2005;24:69-73

• Interstitial cystitis in the UK: results of a questionnaire survey of members of the Interstitial Cystitis Support Group.
  Tincello DG, Walker AC. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2005;118:91-5

• Prevalence of interstitial cystitis symptoms in a managed care population.
  Clemens JQ, Meenan RT, O'Keeffe Rosetti MC et al. J Urol 2005;174:576-80
  • the authors conclude that the prevalence of IC symptoms is 30 to 50-fold higher in women and 60 to 100-fold higher in men than the prevalence of a coded physician diagnosis of IC in the same population.

• Prevalence of clinically confirmed interstitial cystitis in women: a population based study in Finland.
  Leppilahti M, Sairanen J, Tammela TLJ et al. J Urol 2005;174:581-3
  • the authors conclude that the prevalence of probable IC in women is 300 per 100.000 and of possible IC 680 per 100.000.
  

• Prevalence and incidence of interstitial cystitis in a managed care population.
  Clemens JQ, Meenan RT, Rosetti MC, et al. J Urol 2005;173:98-102

• Interstitial cystitis: a chronic disease with ever-increasing recognition and prevalence.
  Parsons CL. J Urol 2005;173:6

• Reinvestigation of patients with a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis: common things are sometimes common.
  Irwin P, Samsudin A. J Urol 2005;174:584-7
  • 61 patients with a provisional diagnosis of IC underwent reinvestigation. The diagnosis of IC was confirmed or considered possible in only 34 cases. Common alternative diagnoses included recurrent urinary tract infections, detrusor overactivity and vaginal candidiasis. Of 5 male patients only 1 was confirmed to have IC !
  

• What is the value of cystoscopy with hydrodistension for interstitial cystitis?
  Ottem DP, Teichman JM. Urology 2005;66:494-9
  • in the hands of the authors, cystoscopy provided little useful diagnostic information and only short lived improvement in 56% of their patients.

• Do the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases cystoscopic criteria associate with other clinical and objective features of interstitial cystitis?
  Erickson DR, Tomaszewski JE, Kunselman AR, et al. J Urol. 2005;173:93-7

• How do you stretch a bladder? A survey of UK practice, a literature review, and a recommendation of a standard approach.
  Turner KJ, Stewart LH. Neurourol Urodyn 2005;24:74-6

• Menstrual cycle affects bladder pain sensation in subjects with interstitial cystitis.
  Powel-Boone T, Ness T, Cannon R, et al. J Urol 2005;174:1832-6

• What is the pain of interstitial cystitis like?
  Fitzgerald MP, Brensinger C, Brubaker L et al. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005 Jul 2; [Epub ahead of print]
  • the authors conclude that patients with IC report pain at several sites other than the bladder

• Management of patients with interstitial cystitis or chronic pelvic pain of bladder origin: a consensus report.
  Kahn BS, Stanford EJ, Mishell DR Jr, et al. Curr Med Res Opin 2005;21:509-16

pdf file

• Is the potassium sensitivity test a valid and useful test for the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis?
  Hanno P. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005;16:428-9
  • the author concludes that the KCl test should be restricted to research settings, as it lacks the sensitivity and specificity required for clinical use, does not aid in prognosis or in modifying the treatment algorithm, and can be uncomfortable or even painful for the patient.

• Argument for the use of the potassium sensitivity test in the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis.
  Parsons CL. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005;16:430-1
  • according to the author a true ‘‘false positive’’ is a positive test result in an individual who has no symptoms of the disease
  • comment by Joop P van de Merwe, MAB member: "false positive" is usually defined as a positive test in people without the disease in question, or in other words without the diagnosis in question, and not as a positive test in persons without a specific symptom; there also seems to be a discrepancy in the symptom-related definition of "false positive" and the relationship between the potassium sensitivity test and the diagnosis in the title of the publication.

• The potassium sensitivity test: a predictor of treatment response in interstitial cystitis.
  Gupta SK, Pidcock L, Parr NJ. BJU Int 2005;96:1063-6
  • the authors conclude that the test helps to predict the response to treatment with glycosaminoglycan-substitution therapy.

• Argument for the use of the potassium sensitivity test in the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis.
  Parsons CL. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005 Jun 2; [Epub ahead of print]

• Is the potassium sensitivity test a valid and useful test for the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis?
  Hanno P. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005 Apr 15; [epub ahead of print]
  • the author concludes that this test lacks the sensitivity and specificity required for clinical use

• Abnormal urinary potassium metabolism in patients with interstitial cystitis.
  Parsons CL, Greene RA, Chung M, et al. J Urol 2005;173:1182-5

• Quantifying symptoms in men with interstitial cystitis/prostatitis, and its correlation with potassium-sensitivity testing.
  Parsons CL, Rosenberg MT, Sassani P, et al. BJU Int 2005;95:86-90
  • the authors found a high rate of positive potassium-sensitivity tests ( PST) in patients with classic prostatitis and suggest that bladder pathology may be an important source of symptoms in most prostatitis patients.
  • an alternative conclusion could have been that the PST is not a good test to discriminate between classic prostatitis and IC....

IC & other diseases

• Increased prevalence of interstitial cystitis in women with detrusor overactivity refractory to anticholinergic therapy.
  Minaglia S, Ozel B, Bizhang R, et al. Urology 2005;66:702-6
  • the authors conclude that the preliminary findings suggest that there is a high prevalence of interstitial cystitis in women with detrusor overactivity that does not respond to anticholinergic medication.

• Risk of irritable bowel syndrome and depression in women with interstitial cystitis: a case-control study.
  Novi JM, Jeronis S, Srinivas S et al. J Urol 2005;174:937-40
  • 20 out of 46 (43%) women with IC were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and 19 out of 46 (41%) with major depression; the incidence of IBS was similar in women with mild and severe IC; pain of bladder or bowel origin was associated with an increased risk of depression symptoms in women with IC

• Interstitial cystitis and endometriosis in patients with chronic pelvic pain: The "Evil Twins" syndrome.
  Chung MK, Chung RP, Gordon D. JSLS 2005;9:25-9

• Risk factors for painful bladder syndrome in women seeking gynecologic care.
  Kennedy CM, Bradley CS, Galask RP et al. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2005 Jul 2; [Epub ahead of print]
  • the authors conclude that bladder pain was significantly associated with current smoking, irritable bowel syndrome, and a generalized pain disorder

• The prevalence of interstitial cystitis, endometriosis, adhesions, and vulvar pain in women with chronic pelvic pain.
  Stanford EJ, Koziol J, Feng A. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2005;12:43-9
  • this study demonstrated that in a group of women undergoing a comprehensive work-up for CPP (chronic pelic pain), the bladder was the predominant pain generator

• Psychophysical evidence of hypersensitivity in subjects with interstitial cystitis.
  Ness TJ, Powel-Boone T, Cannon R, et al. J Urol 2005;173:1983-7
  • hypersensitivity to somatic stimuli was noted in subjects with IC; the authors suggest altered central mechanisms in the processing of sensory events from the bladder

• Chronic bacterial prostatitis: an evolving clinical enigma.
  Nickel JC, Moon T. Urology 2005;66:2-8
  • a review

• Overactive bladder: a clinical entity or a marketing hype ?
  Madersbacher H. Eur Urol 2005;47:273-6

• A model of neural cross-talk and irritation in the pelvis: implications for the overlap of chronic pelvic pain disorders.
  Pezzone MA, Liang R, Fraser MO. Gastroenterology 2005;128:1953-64

• Sjögren's syndrome.
  Fox RI. Lancet 2005;366:321-31
  • a seminar on Sjögren's syndrome

• Food allergy and the gastrointestinal tract.
  Bischoff S, Crowe SE. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2004;20:156-61
  

• Urinary uronate and sulfated glycosaminoglycan levels: markers for interstitial cystitis severity.
  Lokeshwar VB, Selzer MG, Cerwinka WH, et al. J Urol 2005;174:344-9
  • the authors conclude that urinary uronate and sulfated GAG levels are increased in patients with severe IC and that these markers may become useful for monitoring IC

• APF, HB-EGF, and EGF biomarkers in patients with ulcerative vs. non-ulcerative interstitial cystitis.
  Zhang CO, Li ZL, Kong CZ. BMC Urol 2005;5:7 [Epub ahead of print]
  • the authors conclude that 92% of IC patients had evidence for APF activity vs. only 3% of normal controls and that none of the samples from bacterial cystitis or bladder cancer patients had any evidence for APF activity.

• Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis.
  Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2005;19:843-59
  • review

• Light at the end of the tunnel for interstitial cystitis?
  Wyllie MG. BJU Int 2005;96:909-10
  • an analysis of the pharmaceutical industry's attitude to IC

• Absence of bacterial and viral DNA in bladder biopsies from patients with interstitial cystitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
  Al-Hadithi HN, Williams H, Hart CA, et al. J Urol 2005;174:151-4
  • the authors conclude that a chronic infective etiology for IC/CPPS is excluded by their findings

• Brain control of normal and overactive bladder.
  Griffiths D, Derbyshire S, Stenger A, Resnick N. J Urol 2005;174:1862-7

• Bladder A delta afferent nerve activity in normal cats and cats with feline interstitial cystitis.
  Roppolo JR, Tai C, Booth AM, et al. J Urol 2005;173:1011-5