Correlation of urinary histamine concentration with mast cell density in patients with non-muscle invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction/Objective There are no reliable tumor markers for non-invasive detection of bladder cancer and monitoring patients after treatment. The role of mast cells in oncogenesis is still unknown.

Methods Our study is an open, longitudinal, prospective follow-up study conducted over six months after surgical treatment of bladder cancer, with preoperative sampling of the first morning urine sample to determine the histamine concentration level. The research included 60 patients of both sexes, aged ≥ 18 years, with the first presentation of a non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Patients in the study underwent follow-up control urethrocystoscopy postoperatively. The concentration of mast cells in tumor tissue was specified.

Results The study included 35 (58.3%) men and 25 (41.7%) women with an average age of 70.15 ± 9.38 years. The mean urinary histamine levels before surgery in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer were 11.06 ± 5.79 ng/mL. The mean urinary histamine levels before surgery (t = 2.46; p = 0.02) and six months after surgery (t = 2.34; p = 0.02) in patients with T1 stage were statistically significantly higher than the urinary histamine levels in patients with Ta stage of urothelial bladder cancer. Patients with higher histamine concentration in urine before surgery had a higher number of mast cells.

Conclusion The mean urinary histamine value before surgery, three, and six months after surgery is statistically significantly lower than the reference urinary histamine values. The urinary histamine values in patients with T1 stage are higher than in patients with Ta stage. Statistically significant correlation between mast cell concentration and histamine was determined before surgery.

Keywords: bladder cancer; mast cells; histamine; urine