Aykanli, Emre; Yavuzsan, Abdullah Hizir; Buyuktepe, Omer; Altunok, Vedat; Balikci, Aysenur; Kocoglu, Fatih; Koncuk, Mustafa Serkan; Atalay, Numan; Turkmen, Nihat

Background: Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a common health problem amongst men worldwide. It has a multifactorial ethiology, and in some societies, urinating in a standing position is believed to cause BPH. Although the effect of urination position on voiding parameters has been extensively investigated, whether they have a role in the aetiology of BPH is not known. Material and Methods: The patients who had (n = 89) and had not ever used (n = 213) alpha-blockers were included in the study. All patients were divided into four groups in accordance with their past urination habits: Group 1 (I always pee in a standing position), group 2 (I mostly pee in a standing position), group 3 (I mostly pee in a sitting position) and group 4 (I always pee in a sitting position). The current uroflowmetry results, prostate volumes (PVs) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of the groups were compared. Results: The IPSSs of groups 1–4 (total n = 213) who had not used alpha-blockers before were 10 (9–16), 10 (7–14), 10 (7–14) and 10 (8–13) points, respectively; Their median PVs were 40, 35, 40 and 40 mL, respectively; And their average maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) values were 17 (12.7–20.5), 1.46 (11.1–20), 15 (12.4–18.9) and 15.6 (11.7–19.5) mL/s, respectively. No statistical difference was observed between the groups. Alpha-blockers were started in 104 patients who had not used alpha-blockers before in accordance with their clinical results. When these 104 patients who were started on alpha-blockers for the first time and 89 patients who were started on alpha-blockers before were examined together, the average ages of starting alpha-blockers were 59.9 ± 7.1, 60.5 ± 6.7, 59.6 ± 6.5 and 60.8 ± 6.7 years. No statistical difference was observed between the groups. Patients with and without clinical BPH were compared in terms of past urination habits. In both groups, the rates of patients who always or mostly urinated whilst sitting (60%–61%) and those of patients who always or mostly urinated whilst standing (39%–40%) were similar. Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that positional urination habits do not have a role in the aetiology of BPH. However, multicentre prospective studies with a larger patient population are needed.

Ekici, Ozgur; Gunay, Murat; Gul, Abdullah; Admıs, Ozlem; Bozkurt, Ali Seydi; Keskin, Ercument

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) is an issue in the field of urology that is known for causing symptoms like urges to urinate frequently during the day and even at night (known as nocturia). Nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) play a vital role in the growth and operation of nerve cells in the body. New studies are indicating a connection between these neurotrophins and OAB; As such this research project was undertaken to explore how levels of NGT and BDNF in urine might be related to the presence of OAB in individuals. Methods: This investigation employed a case-control design, enrolling 44 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of OAB and an equal number of healthy participants as the control group. Urine samples were collected from all participants, and levels of NGF and BDNF were quantified. To account for fluctuations in urine concentration, NGF/creatinine (Cr) and BDNF/Cr ratios were also determined. Results: Our research findings revealed that individuals experiencing bladder (OAB) showed increased urinary NGF levels (statistically significant, at p < 0.001). This disparity remained consistent after adjusting for creatinine levels; There were higher NGF/Cr (statistically significant, at p = 0.001) and BDNF/Cr (statistically significant, at p < 0.001) ratios in the OAB group compared to the control group. Additionally we noted a relationship between urine NGF/Cr levels and the presence of OAB (statistically significant, at p < 0.001; Correlation coefficient: +0.686). Urine BDNF/Cr levels showed a correlation with OAB (correlation coefficient of +0.461; p value < 0.001). In OAB prediction, the NGF/Cr cutoff value was found to be 0.87, the NGF cutoff value was 180.02 pg/mL, and the BDNF/Cr ratio was 0.19. Conclusions: Elevated urinary NGF and BDNF levels are associated with OAB, suggesting a potential role for these neurotrophic factors in the pathogenesis of the condition. Further research is warranted to explore their potential as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.