The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Young women with genital prolapse have a low collagen concentration

På svenska

Author

Summary, in English

Background. Genital prolapse is a common and handicapping form of pelvic floor dysfunction. To explain its genesis as a result of endopelvic connective tissue weakness, the collagen state was analyzed in women with and without genital prolapse. Methods. Punch biopsies from the paraurethral ligaments were obtained during the operation from 22 women undergoing surgery for genital prolapse. As controls, similar biopsies were taken from 13 women who underwent gynecologic surgery for other benign reasons. Collagen concentration as hydroxyproline and its extractability by pepsin digestion were studied in relation to age by multiple regression, two-way ANOVA, Levene's test, and Student's t-test. Histological examination was also performed. Results. Women, younger than 53 years, with genital prolapse had a 30% lower collagen concentration than age-matched controls, which reached significance, P = 0.01. The extractability by pepsin digestion, an indicator of cross-links in the collagen molecule, did not significantly differ between groups. It did, however, decrease significantly with age in both prolapse patient and control groups. Morphology supported these findings with a less-dense extracellular matrix composition subepithelially in genital prolapse compared to a healthy control. Conclusion. For the first time, we show that young women with genital prolapse have a decreased collagen concentration, suggesting a different organization of the endopelvic connective tissue extracellular matrix. Furthermore, these alterations differ from those earlier found in younger women with stress urinary incontinence.

Department/s

  • Matrix Biology

Publishing year

2004

Language

English

Pages

1193-1198

Publication/Series

Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

Volume

83

Issue

12

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine

Keywords

  • connective tissue
  • age
  • collagen
  • genital prolapse

Status

Published

Research group

  • Matrix Biology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1600-0412