Vaginal Tissue Engineering via Gelatin-Elastin Fiber-Reinforced Hydrogels.

The vagina is a fibromuscular tube-shaped organ spanning from the hymenal ring to the cervix that plays critical roles in menstruation, pregnancy, and female sexual health. Vaginal tissue constituents, including cells and extracellular matrix components, contribute to tissue structure, function, and prevention of injury. However, much microstructural function remains unknown, including how the fiber-cell and cell-cell interactions influence macromechanical properties. A deeper understanding of these interactions will provide critical information needed to reduce and prevent vaginal injuries. Our objectives for this work herein are to first engineer a suite of biomaterials for vaginal tissue engineering and second to characterize the performance of these biomaterials in the vaginal microenvironment. We successfully created fiber-reinforced hydrogels of gelatin-elastin electrospun fibers infiltrated with gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels. These composites recapitulate vaginal material properties, including stiffness, and are compatible with the vaginal microenvironment: biocompatible with primary vaginal epithelial cells and in acidic conditions. This work significantly advances progress in vaginal tissue engineering by developing novel materials and developing a state-of-the-art tissue engineered vagina.

Design of a Tool Capable of Assessing Environmental Sociocultural Physical Factors Influencing Women's Decisions on When and Where to Toilet Within Real-World Settings: Protocol for the Build and Usability Testing of a Mobile App for Use by Community-Dwelling Women.

BACKGROUND: Although surveys and apps are available for women to report urination and bladder symptoms, they do not include their decisions regarding toileting. Real-world factors can interfere with toileting decisions, which may then influence bladder health. This premise lacks data per want of a robust data collection tool. OBJECTIVE: The Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) research consortium engaged a transdisciplinary team to build and test WhereIGo, a mobile data collection app for Android and iOS. The design goal was a comprehensive reporting system for capturing environmental, sociocultural, and physical factors that influence women's decisions for toileting. Aims include having (1) an innovative feature for reporting physiologic urge sensation when "thinking about my bladder" and shortly before "I just peed," (2) real-time reporting along with short look-back opportunities, and (3) ease of use anywhere. METHODS: The development team included a plain language specialist, a usability specialist, creative designers, programming experts, and PLUS scientific content experts. Both real-time and ecological momentary assessments were used to comprehensively capture influences on toileting decisions including perceived access to toileting, degree of busyness or stress or focus, beverage intake amount, urge degree, or a leakage event. The restriction on the maximal number of taps for any screen was six. PLUS consortium investigators did pilot-testing. Formal usability testing relied on the recruitment of community-dwelling women at four PLUS research sites. Women used the app for 2 consecutive days. Outcome measures were the system usability scale (SUS; 0-100 range) and the functional Mobile Application Rating Scale (1-5 range). These scales were embedded at the end of the app. The estimated a priori sample size needed, considering the SUS cut point score set at ≥74, was 40 women completing the study. RESULTS: Funding was provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases since July 2015. The integrity of the build process was documented through multiple 5-minute videos presented to PLUS Consortium and through WhereIGo screenshots of the final product. Participants included 44 women, with 41 (93%) completing data collection. Participants ranged in age from 21 to 85 years, were predominantly non-Hispanic White (n=25, 57%), college-educated (n=25, 57%), and with incomes below US $75,000 (n=27, 62%). The SUS score was 78.0 (SE 1.7), which was higher than 75% of the 500 products tested by the SUS developers. The mean functional Mobile Application Rating Scale score was 4.4 (SE 0.08). The build and informal acceptability testing were completed in 2019, enrollment for formal usability testing completed by June 2020, and analysis was completed in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: WhereIGo is a novel app with good usability for women to report toileting decisions, urination, and fluid intake. Future research using the app could test the influence of real-time factors on bladder health. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR1-10.2196/54046.

Associations of financial strain and unmet social needs with women's bladder health.

OBJECTIVE: Financial strain and unmet social needs are associated with greater risk for lower urinary tract symptoms. Little research has examined financial strain and unmet social needs in relation to the more holistic concept of bladder health. This study utilizes baseline data from RISE FOR HEALTH: A U.S. Study of Bladder Health to examine whether financial strain, unmet social needs, and meeting specific federal poverty level threshold levels are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms and poorer perceived bladder health, well-being, and function. STUDY DESIGN: Participants were 18 years or older, born female or currently identified as a woman, and from the civilian, noninstitutionalized population residing in 50 counties in the United States that included or surrounded 9 recruitment centers. Data were collected through mailed or internet-based surveys. To address research questions, the 10-item Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network - Symptom Index and selected Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Research Consortium bladder health scores were separately regressed on each financial strain, unmet social need, and federal poverty level variable, using linear regression adjusting for covariates (age, race/ethnicity, education, and vaginal parity) and robust variance estimation for confidence intervals (CI). Participants with no missing data for a given analysis were included (range of n=2564-3170). In separate sensitivity analyses, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes were added as covariates and missing data were imputed. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 51.5 years (standard deviation=18.4). Not having enough money to make ends meet, housing insecurity, food insecurity, unreliable transportation, and percent federal poverty levels of 300% or less were consistently associated with more reported lower urinary tract symptoms and poorer perceived bladder health. For example, compared to food secure participants, women who worried that their food would run out at the end of the month had a Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network - Symptom Index score that was 3.4 points higher (95% CI: 2.5, 4.3), on average. They also had lower mean scores across different bladder health measures, each assessed using a 100-point scale: global bladder health (-8.2, 95% CI: -10.8, -5.7), frequency (-10.2, 95% CI: -13.8, -6.7), sensation (-11.6, 95% CI: -15.1, -8.2), continence (-13.3, 95% CI: -16.7, -9.9), and emotional impact of bladder health status (-13.2, 95% CI: -16.5, -9.9). Across analyses, associations largely remained significant after additional adjustment for body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes. The pattern of results when imputing missing data was similar to that observed with complete case analysis; all significant associations remained significant with imputation. CONCLUSION: Financial strain and unmet social needs are associated with worse LUTS and poorer bladder health. Longitudinal research is needed to examine whether financial strain and unmet social needs influence the development, maintenance, and worsening of lower urinary tract symptoms; different mechanisms by which financial strain and unmet social needs may impact symptoms; and the degree to which symptoms contribute to financial strain. If supported by etiologic research, prevention research can be implemented to determine whether the amelioration of financial strain and social needs, including enhanced access to preventative care, may promote bladder health across the life course.

Genital Pain and the Spectrum of Bladder-Related Symptoms: Findings from the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Research Consortium RISE FOR HEALTH Study, USA.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Women with vulvovaginal or genital pain more commonly experience interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and urinary tract infections. However, the relationship between genital pain and bladder health is lacking. METHODS: Women in the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Consortium's RISE FOR HEALTH population-based study answered questions about bladder health globally, and across nine bladder health domains of holding, efficacy, social-occupation, physical activity, intimacy, travel, emotion, perception, and freedom. Bladder function was assessed across six indices including urinary frequency, sensation, continence, comfort, emptying, and dysbiosis (e.g., urinary tract infections). Participants were grouped by no pain beyond transitory events (i.e., minor headaches, toothaches, or sprains), nongenital-related pain only, and any genital pain using a validated pain diagram. Mean adjusted scores and indices were compared using general linear modelling. RESULTS: Of 1,973 eligible women, 250 (12.7%) reported genital pain, 609 (30.9%) reported nongenital pain only, and 1,114 (56.5%) reported no pain. Women with any genital pain had lower (worse) adjusted mean scores across all bladder health scales (BHS; BHS global adjusted mean 47.5; 95% CI 40.8-54.1), compared with those with nongenital pain only (53.7; 95% CI 47.6-59.8), and no pain (59.3; 95% CI 53.3-65.4). Similarly, adjusted mean total Bladder Functional Index scores were lower for those with genital pain (63.1; 95% CI 58.4-67.9) compared with nongenital pain (72.1; 95% CI 67.7-76.5) and no pain (77.4; 95% CI 73.0-81.8). CONCLUSIONS: Heightened awareness of the relationship between genital pain and bladder health should prompt clinicians caring for women with genital pain to assess bladder health and function.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in US Women: Contemporary Prevalence Estimates from the RISE FOR HEALTH Study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of a wide range of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in US women, and explore associations with bother and discussion with health care providers, friends, and family. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed baseline data collected from May 2022 to December 2023 in the RISE FOR HEALTH study-a large, regionally representative cohort study of adult female community members. LUTS and related bother were measured by the 10-item Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network Symptom Index, and discussion was assessed by a study-specific item. RESULTS: Of the 3000 eligible participants, 73% (95% CI 71%-74%) reported any storage symptoms, 52% (95% CI 50%-53%) any voiding or emptying symptoms, and 11% (95% CI 10%-13%) any pain with bladder filling, for an overall LUTS prevalence of 79% (95% CI 78%-81%). This prevalence estimate included 43% (95% CI 41%-45%) of participants with mild to moderate symptoms and 37% (95% CI 35%-38%) with moderate to severe symptoms. Over one-third of participants reported LUTS-related bother (38%, 95% CI 36%-39%) and discussion (38%, 95% CI 36%-40%), whereas only 7.1% (95% CI 6.2%-8.1%) reported treatment. Urgency and incontinence (including urgency and stress incontinence) were associated with the greatest likelihood of bother and/or discussion (adjusted prevalence ratios = 1.3-2.3), even at mild to moderate levels. They were also the most commonly treated LUTS. CONCLUSIONS: LUTS, particularly storage LUTS such as urgency and incontinence, were common and bothersome in the RISE study population, yet often untreated. Given this large burden, both prevention and treatment-related interventions are warranted to reduce the high prevalence and bother of LUTS.

A prospective study of birth weight and prostate cancer risk and mortality in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have observed inconsistent associations between birth weight and aggressive prostate cancer risk. This study aimed to prospectively analyse this association in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). METHODS: Birth weight was self-reported in 1994, and prostate cancer diagnoses were assessed biennially through January 2017 and confirmed by medical record review. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association between birth weight and prostate cancer risk and mortality. RESULTS: Among 19,889 eligible men, 2520 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 643 with higher-grade/advanced stage, 296 with lethal, and 248 with fatal disease. Overall, no association was observed for increasing birth weight with risk of overall prostate cancer, lower-grade, and organ-confined disease. However, a borderline statistically significant positive trend was observed for increasing birth weight with risk of higher-grade and/or advanced-stage prostate cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj] per pound: 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99-1.11; P-trend = 0.08), but no associations were observed with risk of lethal or fatal disease (HRadj: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.91-1.08; P-trend = 0.83; and HRadj: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.90-1.08; P-trend = 0.82, respectively). CONCLUSION: No consistent associations were observed between birth weight and prostate cancer risk or mortality in this 22-year prospective cohort study.

Ecological momentary assessment of pelvic pain and urinary urgency variability in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome and their association with illness impact and quality of life: Findings from the multidisciplinary approach to the study of chronic pelvic pain symptom patterns study.

PURPOSE: This study tested the hypothesis that ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of pelvic pain (PP) and urinary urgency (UU) would reveal unique Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS) phenotypes that would be associated with disease specific quality of life (QOL) and illness impact metrics (IIM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A previously validated smart phone app (M-app) was provided to willing Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) participants. M-app notifications were sent 4-times daily for 14 days inquiring about PP and UU severity. A clustering algorithm that accounted for variance placed participants into PP and UU variability? clusters. Associations between clusters and QOL and IIM were then determined. RESULTS: A total of 204 participants enrolled in the M-app study (64% female). M-app compliance was high (median 63% of surveys). Cluster analysis revealed k = 3 (high, low, none) PP clusters and k = 2 (high, low) UU clusters. When adjusting for baseline pain severity, high PP variability, but not UU variability, was strongly associated with QOL and IIM; specifically worse mood, worse sleep and higher anxiety. UU and PP clusters were associated with each other (p < 0.0001), but a large percentage (33%) of patients with high PP variability had low UU variability. CONCLUSIONS: PP variability is an independent predictor of worse QOL and more severe IIM in UCPPS participants after controlling for baseline pain severity and UU. These findings suggest alternative pain indices, such as pain variability and unpredictability, may be useful adjuncts to traditional measures of worst and average pain when assessing UCPPS treatment responses.

Validation of a simple body map to measure widespread pain in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A MAPP Research Network study.

PURPOSE: In patients with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS), the presence of widespread pain appears to identify a distinct phenotype, with a different symptom trajectory and potentially different response to treatment than patients with pelvic pain only. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 76-site body map was administered four times, at weekly intervals, to 568 male and female UCPPS participants in the MAPP Network protocol. The 76 sites were classified into 13 regions (1 pelvic region and 12 nonpelvic regions). The degree of widespread pain was scored from 0 to 12 based on the number of reported nonpelvic pain regions. This continuous body map score was regressed over other measures of widespread pain, with UCPPS symptom severity, and with psychosocial variables to measure level of association. These models were repeated using an updated body map score (0-12) that incorporated a threshold of pain ≥ 4 at each site. RESULTS: Body map scores showed limited variability over the 4 weekly assessments, indicating that a single baseline assessment was sufficient. The widespread pain score correlated highly with other measures of widespread pain and correlated with worsened UCPPS symptom severity and psychosocial functioning. Incorporating a pain severity threshold ≥4 resulted in only marginal increases in these correlations. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the use of this 13-region body map in the baseline clinical assessment of UCPPS patients. It provides reliable data about the presence of widespread pain and does not require measurement of pain severity, making it relatively simple to use for clinical purposes.

Association Between Maternal Depression and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Their Primary School-Age Daughters: A Birth Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Although maternal depression is associated with adverse outcomes in women and children, its relationship with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in offspring is less well-characterized. We examined the association between prenatal and postpartum maternal depression and LUTS in primary school-age daughters. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 7148 mother-daughter dyads from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. METHOD: Mothers completed questionnaires about depressive symptoms at 18 and 32 weeks' gestation and 21 months postpartum and their children's LUTS (urinary urgency, nocturia, and daytime and nighttime wetting) at 6, 7, and 9 years of age. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between maternal depression and LUTS in daughters. RESULTS: Compared to daughters of mothers without depression, those born to mothers with prenatal and postpartum depression had higher odds of LUTS, including urinary urgency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] range = 1.99-2.50) and nocturia (aOR range = 1.67-1.97) at 6, 7, and 9 years of age. Additionally, daughters born to mothers with prenatal and postpartum depression had higher odds of daytime wetting (aOR range = 1.81-1.99) and nighttime wetting (aOR range = 1.63-1.95) at 6 and 7 years of age. Less consistent associations were observed for depression limited to the prenatal or postpartum periods only. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to maternal depression in the prenatal and postpartum periods was associated with an increased likelihood of LUTS in daughters. This association may be an important opportunity for childhood LUTS prevention. Prevention strategies should reflect an understanding of potential biological and environmental mechanisms through which maternal depression may influence childhood LUTS.

Occupational groups and lower urinary tract symptoms: A cross-sectional analysis of women in the Boston Area Community Health Study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to inform our hypothesis that the workplace toileting environment may impact lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS); we examined the prevalence of LUTS across occupational groups in the Boston Area Community Health Survey. METHODS: At baseline, women (n = 3205) reported their occupation and frequency of 15 LUTS. Using the US Department of Labor's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, we categorized women into 11 standard occupational groups. Prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated by log-link generalized linear models, adjusting for age, race, education, fluid intake, and parity. Women classified in Office and Administrative Support were used as the reference group given their potential for fewer workplace toileting restrictions. RESULTS: Of the 3189 women with complete data, 68% of women reported any LUTS, ranging from 57% to 82% across the SOCs. Relative to women in Office and Administrative Support (n = 576), women in Computing, Engineering, and Science (n = 64) were more likely to report any LUTS (PR = 1.2, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.0-1.4) and urinating again in <2 h (PR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.4-2.2), and women in Education, Legal, Community Service, Arts, and Media (n = 477), as well as Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations (n = 162), were less likely to report perceived frequent daytime urination (PR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9 and PR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our cross-sectional findings suggest that urination frequency varies across understudied occupational groups with various workplace toileting environments. Future studies should examine this relationship prospectively to inform the influence of workplace toileting environments on urination frequency, as well as the development and/or worsening of LUTS.

The brain, gut, and bladder health nexus: A conceptual model linking stress and mental health disorders to overactive bladder in women.

OBJECTIVE: A small, but growing literature links stressors and mental health disorders (MHDs) across the life course to overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence symptoms. Mechanisms by which stressors and MHDs may impact bladder health are not fully understood, limiting novel prevention and treatment efforts. Moreover, potential biopsychosocial mechanisms involving the brain and gut have not been considered in an integrated, comprehensive fashion. METHODS: Members of the prevention of lower urinary tract symptoms Research Consortium developed conceptual models to inform research on biopsychosocial mechanisms through which stress and MDHs may impact bladder health among girls and women, focusing on brain and gut physiology. RESULTS: Two conceptual models were developed-one to explain central (brain-based) and peripheral (gut-based) mechanisms linking stressors and MHDs to OAB and bladder health, and one to highlight bidirectional communication between the brain, gut, and bladder. Traumatic events, chronic stressors, and MHDs may lead to a maladaptive stress response, including dysregulated communication and signaling between the brain, gut, and bladder. Gut bacteria produce molecules and metabolites that alter production of neurotransmitters, amino acids, short-chain fatty acids, and inflammatory immune response molecules that mediate communication between the gut and brain. Microbiota signal neurogenesis, microglia maturation, and synaptic pruning; they also calibrate brain-gut-bladder axis communication through neurotransmission and synaptogenesis, potentially influencing bladder symptom development. Life course trajectories of risk may be prevented or interrupted by central and peripheral resources for neuropsychological resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Depicted pathways, including brain-gut-bladder communication, have implications for research and development of novel prevention and treatment approaches.

The impact of marital status on tumor aggressiveness, treatment, and screening among black and white men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To examine the association of marital status with prostate cancer outcomes in a racially-diverse cohort. METHODS: The study population consisted of men (1010 Black; 1070 White) with incident prostate cancer from the baseline North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer (PCaP) cohort. Marital status at time of diagnosis and screening history were determined by self-report. The binary measure of marital status was defined as married (including living as married) vs. not married (never married, divorced/separated, or widowed). High-aggressive tumors were defined using a composite measure of PSA, Gleason Score, and stage. Definitive treatment was defined as receipt of radical prostatectomy or radiation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of marital status with (1) high-aggressive tumors, (2) receipt of definitive treatment, and (3) screening history among Black and White men with prostate cancer. RESULTS: Black men were less likely to be married than White men (68.1% vs. 83.6%). Not being married (vs. married) was associated with increased odds of high-aggressive tumors in the overall study population (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 1.56; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20-2.02) and both Black and White men in race-stratified analyses. Unmarried men were less likely to receive definitive treatment in the overall study population (aOR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.54-0.85). In race-stratified analyses, unmarried Black men were less likely to receive definitive treatment. Both unmarried Black and White men were less likely to have a history of prostate cancer screening than married men. CONCLUSION: Lower rates of marriage among Black men might signal decreased support for treatment decision-making, symptom management, and caregiver support which could potentially contribute to prostate cancer disparities.

Believing women: a qualitative exploration of provider disbelief and pain dismissal among women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome from the MAPP research network.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Although allusions to the importance of a good physician-patient relationship are present throughout the interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) literature, qualitative analysis of patients' perspectives on the clinical encounter is lacking, particularly among women who are most commonly affected by IC/BPS. Therefore, we adopted a patient-centered experiential approach to understanding female patients' perception of clinical encounters. METHODS: We re-analyzed previously collected data from a qualitative study on patient flare experiences including eight focus groups of female IC/BPS patients (n = 57, mean = 7/group). Qualitative analysis applied grounded theory to index all physician-patient interactions, then thematically coded these interactions to elucidate common experiences of clinical encounters. RESULTS: Women with IC/BPS shared common experiences of provider disbelief and pain dismissal. Discussions with participants demonstrated the extent to which these negative encounters shape patients' health care-seeking behavior, outlook, and psychosocial well-being. Appearing in more than one guise, provider disbelief and dismissal occurred as tacit insinuations, explicit statements, silence, oversimplification, and an unwillingness to listen and discuss alternative treatment. As a result, women adopted several strategies including: rotating specialists; "testing" physicians; self-advocacy; self-management; avoiding the stigma of chronic pain; crying; and opting for alternative medicine over biomedicine. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of provider disbelief and pain dismissal among women with IC/BPS indicates a need to improve physician-patient communication, informed by the struggles, anxieties, and gendered inequities that female patients with chronic pain experience in their diagnostic journey. Results suggest that further investigation into the power dynamics of clinical encounters might be required.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Vaginal Cryotherapy for the Treatment of Pelvic Floor Myofascial Pain.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor myofascial pain (PFMP) is a common but underrecognized component of chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor disorders symptoms with limited, well-studied treatment modalities. Our objective was to determine the effect of vaginal cryotherapy on PFMP with palpation. METHODS: Following a standardized PFMP screening examination, individuals with a pain score ≥4/10 in ≥1 of four muscle groups were invited to participate in a randomized controlled trial comparing patients undergoing vaginal cryotherapy with controls. Participants in both arms could choose to participate in a single in-office treatment; a 2-week, at-home daily treatment; or both. RESULTS: Between March 2019 and September 2021, a total of 163 participants were enrolled and randomized: 80 to cryotherapy, and 83 to the control group. Sixty-three (28 cryotherapy; 35 controls) completed in-office treatment and 56 (32 cryotherapy; 24 controls) completed at-home therapy. In the in-office comparison, mean pain scores decreased significantly in both arms: cryotherapy (5.13 vs 4.10; p=0.02) and controls (5.60 vs 4.72; p<0.01), with a similar magnitude of reduction between arms (p=0.75). In the at-home comparison, mean pain scores decreased significantly in the cryotherapy arm (6.34 vs 4.75; p<0.01), and nonsignificantly in the control arm (5.41 vs 4.66; p=0.07), resulting in a nonsignificant difference between arms (p=0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic floor myofascial pain with palpation improved following both a single cryotherapy session and 2 weeks of daily cryotherapy. Interestingly, pain scores also improved with room temperature therapy. Whether these findings reflect a therapeutic effect of both cold and room temperature intravaginal therapy or a placebo effect is unclear but should be explored in larger studies.

Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Flares: A Comprehensive, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Peer-Reviewed Flare Literature.

PURPOSE: We sought to systematically review and summarize the peer-reviewed literature on urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome flares, including their terminology, manifestation, perceived triggers, management and prevention strategies, impact on quality of life, and insights into pathophysiologic mechanisms, as a foundation for future empirical research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched 6 medical databases for articles related to any aspect of symptom exacerbations for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. A total of 1486 abstracts and 398 full-text articles were reviewed, and data were extracted by at least 2 individuals. RESULTS: Overall, we identified 59 articles, including 36 qualitative, cross-sectional, or case-control; 15 cohort-based; and 8 experimental articles. The majority of studies described North American patients with confirmed diagnoses. "Flare" was a commonly used term, but additional terminology (eg, exacerbation) was also used. Most flares involved significant increases in pain intensity, but less data were available on flare frequency and duration. Painful, frequent, long-lasting, and unpredictable flares were highly impactful, even over and above participants' nonflare symptoms. A large number of perceived triggers (eg, diet, stress) and management/prevention strategies (eg, analgesics, thermal therapy, rest) were proposed by participants, but few had empirical support. In addition, few studies explored underlying biologic mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we found that flares are painful and impactful, but otherwise poorly understood in terms of manifestation (frequency and duration), triggers, treatment, prevention, and pathophysiology. These summary findings provide a foundation for future flare-related research and highlight gaps that warrant additional empirical studies.

Risk of pre-term birth as a function of sleep quality and obesity: prospective analysis in a large Prematurity Research Cohort.

Study Objective: To investigate whether poor sleep quality is associated with pre-term birth (PTB) risk, overall and independent of sleep apnea and habitual snoring. Methods: We used longitudinal data from the Washington University Prematurity Research Cohort to investigate the association between poor sleep quality (defined as a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5) and PTB, overall and independent of sleep apnea and snoring (defined by the Berlin questionnaire and prior sleep clinic attendance). Associations were investigated for sleep quality early and throughout pregnancy. Stratified analyses were performed by factors previously shown to modify associations between sleep and PTB (race, pre-pregnancy obesity). Results: Of the 976 eligible participants, 50.1% experienced poor sleep quality early in pregnancy (<20 completed weeks) and 14.2% delivered pre-term (n = 50 without and 89 with poor sleep quality). In multivariable-adjusted analyses, poor sleep quality early in pregnancy was associated with increased PTB risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-2.14). This association persisted after further adjustment for sleep apnea and snoring (HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.02-2.20) and in analyses stratified by race. It varied, however, by pre-pregnancy obesity. Among individuals without obesity, no association was observed between poor sleep and PTB (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.65-1.79), whereas among those with obesity, a positive association was observed (HR = 2.94, 95% CI = 1.52-5.69, p-interaction = .05). This association was limited to individuals with obesity who experienced poor sleep both earlier and later in pregnancy (HR = 3.94, 95% CI = 1.56-9.99). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that improving sleep quality early in pregnancy may be important for PTB prevention, particularly among individuals with obesity.

Is there an association between physical activity and lower urinary tract symptoms in adolescent girls? Results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common among adolescent girls. Physical activity (PA) has been implicated as both a risk (high-impact PA) and protective factor (low-impact, moderate to vigorous intensity PA) for LUTS in adult women, but its role in adolescent girls is unclear. This study investigated the prospective association between physical activity and LUTS risk in adolescent girls. METHODS: The sample comprised 3,484 female participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine daily minutes of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) at ages 11 and 15 years in relation to LUTS at ages 14 and 19 respectively. MVPA was assessed by 7-day accelerometer data. LUTS were assessed by questionnaire. MVPA were analyzed as continuous (minutes/day) and categorical variables (<10th percentile, 10-89th percentile, ≥90th percentile). RESULTS: Prevalence of LUTS ranged from 2.0% for bedwetting to 9.5% for nocturia at age 14 and from 2.0% for straining to urinate to 35.5% for interrupted urine flow at age 19. Physical activity was not associated with LUTS at either time-point. CONCLUSIONS: Given the prevalence of LUTS in female adolescent populations, although this study did not find an association with accelerometer-measured MVPA, other aspects of PA that may serve as risk or protective factors deserve investigation.

The association of donor hepatitis C virus infection with 3-year kidney transplant outcomes in the era of direct-acting antiviral medications.

To determine the effect of donor hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on kidney transplant (KT) outcomes in the era of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications, we examined 68,087 HCV-negative KT recipients from a deceased donor between March 2015 and May 2021. A Cox regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of KT failure, incorporating inverse probability of treatment weighting to control for patient selection to receive an HCV-positive kidney (either nucleic acid amplification test positive [NAT+, n = 2331] or antibody positive (Ab+)/NAT- [n = 1826]) based on recipient characteristics. Compared with kidney from HCV-negative donors, those from Ab+/NAT- (aHR = 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-1.10) and HCV NAT+ (aHR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.73-1.08) donors were not associated with an increased risk of KT failure over 3 years after transplant. Moreover, HCV NAT+ kidneys were associated with a higher 1-year estimated glomerular filtration (63.0 vs 61.0 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = .007) and lower risk of delayed graft function (aOR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.68-0.84) compared with HCV-negative kidneys. Our findings suggest that donor HCV positivity is not associated with an elevated risk of graft failure. The inclusion of donor HCV status in the Kidney Donor Risk Index may no longer be appropriate in contemporary practice.

Design and feasibility of an Alzheimer's disease blood test study in a diverse community-based population.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) blood tests are likely to become increasingly important in clinical practice, but they need to be evaluated in diverse groups before use in the general population. METHODS: This study enrolled a community-based sample of older adults in the St. Louis, Missouri, USA area. Participants completed a blood draw, Eight-Item Informant Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia (AD8® ), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and survey about their perceptions of the blood test. A subset of participants completed additional blood collection, amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR® ). RESULTS: Of the 859 participants enrolled in this ongoing study, 20.6% self-identified as Black or African American. The AD8 and MoCA correlated moderately with the CDR. The blood test was well accepted by the cohort, but it was perceived more positively by White and highly educated individuals. DISCUSSION: Studying an AD blood test in a diverse population is feasible and may accelerate accurate diagnosis and implementation of effective treatments. HIGHLIGHTS: A diverse group of older adults was recruited to evaluate a blood amyloid test. The enrollment rate was high and the blood test was well accepted by participants. Cognitive impairment screens have moderate performance in a diverse population. Alzheimer's disease blood tests are likely to be feasible for use in real-world settings.

Widespread Pain Phenotypes Impact Treatment Efficacy Results in Randomized Clinical Trials for Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Study.

Clinical trials of pain are notoriously difficult and inefficient in demonstrating efficacy even for known efficacious treatments. Determining the appropriate pain phenotype to study can be problematic. Recent work has identified the extend of widespread pain as an important factor in the likelihood of response to therapy, but has not been tested in clinical trials. Using data from three previously published negative studies of the treatment of interstitial cystitis/ bladder pain with data on the extent of widespread pain, we examined the response of patients to different therapies base on the amount of pain beyond the pelvis. Participants with predominately local but not widespread pain responded to therapy targeting local symptoms. Participants with widespread and local pain responded to therapy targeting widespread pain. Differentiating patients with and without widespread pain phenotypes may be a key feature of designing future pain clinical trials to demonstrate treatments that are effective versus not.