Methods for diagnosing interstitial cystitis via nuclear localization of beta-catenin
Methods for diagnosing a pelvic pain disorder that include analyzing samples for increased levels and/or nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin, which indicates presence of the pelvic pain disorder, particularly interstitial cystitis. Therapeutic treatment of a pelvic pain disorder, particularly interstitial cystitis, includes the administration to a patient of an effective amount of an inhibitor of beta-catenin activity. This can be carried out by direct administration of the therapeutic agent or via gene therapy.
1. A method for diagnosing interstitial cystitis comprising: (a) obtaining a sample comprising urothelium cells from a subject suspected of having interstitial cystitis; and (b) analyzing said sample or a fraction thereof for increased nuclear localization of beta-catenin;
and (c) comparing the nuclear localization of beta-catenin in the sample or fraction from the subject suspected of having interstitial cystitis with the nuclear localization of beta-catenin in a control sample or fraction thereof, wherein increased nuclear localization of beta-catenin, as compared to the control, supports a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said analyzing comprises measuring beta-catenin protein levels.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said measuring beta-catenin protein levels is carried out with an antibody specific for beta-catenin or a binding portion thereof.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said control sample or fraction thereof is obtained from a normal subject.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said sample comprises a fine needle aspiration, a core needle biopsy, a surgical biopsy, a vacuum-assisted biopsy, a biopsy using an advanced breast biopsy instrument, a surgical specimen, a paraffin embedded tissue or a frozen tissue imprint.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a nuclear fraction from the samples is analyzed.
7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising isolating a nuclear fraction from the samples prior to said analyzing.