Estrogen levels and estrogen receptors in patients with stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the histologic characteristics of tissues presumed to be the cause of urinary stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. METHODS: Cardinal ligament and uterosacral ligament samples were obtained from 73 women undergoing hysterectomy. The evaluation of estrogen receptors (ERs) by immunohistochemical staining was semi-quantitative. Serum estrogen was determined by ELISA. Statistical analyses were performed by the independent-sample t-test and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Serum estradiol levels and ER values in the premenopausal women with pelvic organ prolapse were significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.01). A positive correlation was found between ERs and the number of postmenopausal years (P<0.01). ER values were similar in the cardinal and uterosacral ligaments. CONCLUSIONS: Serum estrogen levels and ER values are significantly lower in the uterine ligaments of premenopausal women with pelvic organ prolapse, and there was a positive correlation between ER values in the uterine ligaments and the duration of postmenopausal years. Serum estrogen levels and ER values were similar in the cardinal ligament and the uterosacral ligament.