The Changes And Clinical Significance Of The Nerve Fibre Content And Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule 180KD In Pelvic Organ Prolapse

ObjectivePresent work aimed to observe the content of nerve fibre and expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 180KD in vagina connective tissue, to detect biochemical changes in vagina connective tissue, and to explore whether the alteration in nerve fibre concentration and neural cell adhesion 180KD could contribute to pelvic organ prolapse(POP).MethodsTransvaginal biopsies were obtained from vagina connective tissue in POP, and comparable control. twenty-eight women participated in the study. They were divided into 4 groups as follows: 7premenopausal patients with POP(group 1), 10 premenopausal patients with neither UI nor POP(group 2), 9 postmenopausal patients with neither UI nor POP(group 3),and 11 postmenopausal patients with POP (group 4).In the specimens, the content of nerve fibres was determined by immunohistochemical technique. The proteinum level of neural cell adhesion molecule(NCAM-180)was quatitated by westernbolt(WB).ResultsThe content of nerve fibres was significantly reduced (p<0.05)in premenopausal patients with POP ( group 1 ), compared to the control group (group 2), with the relativity to the age.The correlation coefficients were -0.325(postmenopausal).Meanwhile ,a significantly high expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 180KD(NCAM-180) was found in these patients(p<0.05). The mean concentration of NCAM-180 was 129% higher in premenopausal women and 180.63% higher in postmenopausal women with POP than that in the corresponding controls,with high relativity to the menopausal time. The correlation coefficients were -0.464(p﹤0.05). No relativity to the severity of the disease and parity was found in the content of nerve fibres and neural cell adhesion molecule 180KD(NCAM-180)(r=-0.452).The content of nerve fibres was found with the high relativity to neural cell adhesion molecule(r=-0.458)(p﹤0.01).ConclusionIn this study, we found that the women with POP had a significant decreased the content of nerve fibres in vagina connective tissue, and that the expression of neural cell adhesion molecule 180KD(NCAM-180) significantly increased. We also found that they had the high relativity to the age and menopausal time. As the most important members of the nerve local circumstance, neural cell adhesion molecule 180KD changed as above, suggesting that the circumstance is unfit for the nerve control and regenernation. Which had relativity to the menopausal time indicated that nerve local circumstance changed followed it. NCAM-180 had the relativity to the menopausaltime,The correlation coefficients were -0.464.NCAM-180 alterations might result in a connective tissue with impaired mechanical function. Those tissues probably were less elastic and lead to pelvic organ prolapse.