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