Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Serum Nerve Growth Factor Levels in Women with Overactive Bladder.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the association between overactive bladder (OAB), metabolic syndrome (MetS) and serum nerve growth factors (NGF).

STUDY DESIGN: Serum samples from a group of 90 women that included patients with OAB (group 1), patients with both OAB and MetS (group 2) and healthy women without OAB and MetS (group 3). Each group included 30 patients. Serum levels of NGF were compared among the groups.

RESULTS: When the groups were compared with respect to NGF levels, group 2 was found to have significantly higher NGF levels (p = 0.001). A NGF threshold of >380 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 81.7% and a specificity of 100% to discriminate between groups 2 and 3.

CONCLUSION: Our findings support the theory that possible sympathetic overactivity, proinflammatory status, oxidative stress and other pathological conditions associated with MetS and potentially involved in the development of OAB lead to increased serum NGF levels. These findings may help to shed light on the complicated pathogenesis of OAB.