Prevalence of autoimmune disorders among bladder pain syndrome patients’ relatives

Figures & data

Table 1. The prevalence of the studied autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia.

Reported prevalence % (number)	BPS patients (99)	1st degree relatives (292)	2nd degree relatives (42)	All relatives (334)	The whole families (433)	Comparative population (Country)
Allergies	45% (45)	35.3% (103)	55% (23)	37.7% (126)	39.5% (171)	Not available
Rhinoconjunctivitis causing allergies	23% (23)	17% (51)	33% (14)	19% (65)	20% (88)	27–33% (Finland) [8]
Asthma	12% (12)	15% (43)	12% (5)	14% (48)	14% (60)	9.4% (Finland) [9]
Atopic dermatitis	16% (16)	8.9% (26)	21% (9)	10% (35)	12% (51)	28.1% (Finland) [10]
Fibromyalgia	11% (11)	2.4% (7)	2.4% (1)	2.4% (8)	4.4% (19)	0.75% (Finland) [11] 2.5% (Europe) [12]
Psoriasis	6.0% (6)	3.8% (11)	0.0% (0)	3.3% (11)	3.9% (17)	5.3% (Sweden) [13]
Thyroiditis	4.0% (4)	4.5% (13)	0.0% (0)	3.9% (13)	3.9% (17)	3.0% (Scotland) [14]
Ulcerative colitis	1.0% (1)	4.5% (13)	4.8% (2)	4.5% (15)	3.7% (16)	0.177% (Finland) [15]
Rheumatoid arthritis	6.1% (6)	2.4% (7)	0.0% (0)	2.1% (7)	3.0% (13)	0.44% (Nordic countries) [16]
Lichen ruben (planus)	2.0% (2)	3.1% (9)	2.4% (1)	3.0% (10)	2.8% (12)	1.9% (Sweden) [17]
Celiac disease	3.0% (3)	1.4% (4)	0.0% (0)	1.2% (4)	1.6% (7)	2.0% (Finland) [18]
Iritis	1.0% (1)	1.7% (5)	0.0% (0)	1.5% (5)	1.4% (6)	0.0687% (Finland) [19]
Sjögren’s syndrome	3.0% (3)	1.0% (3)	0.0% (0)	0.90% (3)	1.4% (6)	0.22–3.39% (Scandinavia) [20]
Alopecia areata	1.0% (1)	1.7% (5)	0.0% (0)	1.5% (5)	1.4% (6)	2% (Wolrdwide) [21]
Vitiligo	0% (0)	1.7% (5)	0.0% (0)	1.5% (5)	1.2% (5)	0.5–2.0% (Worldwide) [22]
Polymyalgia rheumatica	2.0% (2)	0.68% (2)	0.0% (0)	0.60% (2)	0.92% (4)	0.70–0.91% (USA and UK) [23]
Primary biliary cirrhosis	0% (0)	0.34% (1)	0.0% (0)	0.30% (1)	0.23% (1)	0.018% (Finland) [24]
Crohn’s disease	0.0% (0)	0.34% (1)	0.0% (0)	0.30% (1)	0.23% (1)	0.038% (Finland) [15]

All participants were asked to fill in a list of autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia by picking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ written in the questionnaire after each one of the diseases listed, signifying whether he/she has the diagnose in question or not. If the person indicated him/herself allergic, he/she was asked to specify the allergen. Four of the original 103 probands deceased before they filled in questionnaire on autoimmune diseases.

This table includes those of the diseases asked, that at least one person had. In addition, the existence of following were asked: lupus erythematosus (SLE, DLE, SCLE, NLE), autoimmune pemphigus (pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa), mixed connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, vasculitis (temporal arteritis, Takayasu’s arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, Kawasaki disease, purpura, Henoch–Schönlein purpura, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, lymphocytic vasculitis, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis) and autoimmune hepatitis.

Table 2. The demographic data of the study sample.

	BPS patients (103)	1st degree relatives (292)	2nd degree relatives (42)	All relatives (334)	Relatives with BPS indicative points in the O’Leary–Sant symptom score (35)
Median age at the time of BPS diagnosis (mean)	50 years (49.0)
Median age at the time of filling in the questionnaires (mean)	63 years (60.5)	53 years (52.4)	25 years (30.6)	51 years (49.7)	63 years (58)
The age range; min.–max.	22–88 years	18–84 years	18–90 years	18–90 years	19–90 years
Percentage (number) of women	85% (88)	60% (174)	50% (21)	58% (195)	71% (25)

BPS indicative points in the O’Leary–Sant symptom score were classified as ≥7 points and positive bladder pain entry.

Table 3. The final diagnosis of the 35 relatives who scored BPS indicative, that is, ≥7 points and positive at the bladder pain entry, in the O’Leary–Sant symptom score.

Number of people	Diagnosis
15	Nonspesified pollacisuria/dysuria
5	Prostatism
4	Evident reasons for pollacisuria (e.g. polydipsia, furosemide medication)
4	Recurrent urinary tract infections
3	Overactive bladder
2	Urinary incontinence
1	Deceased before contacted
1	Could not be contacted

Table 4. Proportion of non-allergic asthmatics in the cohort.

Population (number of the whole population)	Non-allergic asthmatics of all asthmatics (percentage)
Hunner positive BPS patients (28)	2/3 (67%)
Hunner positives’ relatives (95)	5/15 (33%)
Hunner positive families (123)	7/18 (39%)
Hunner negative BPS patients (69)	3/8 (38%)
Hunner negatives’ relatives (230)	16/31 (52%)
Hunner negative families (299)	19/39 (49%)
Whole cohort (433)	28/60 (47%)

The allergens reported by the attendants were classified as rhinoconjunctivitis causing (pollen, animals) and other allergens (e.g. nickel, different chemicals, medicines, foodstuff). People having asthma but no rhinoconjunctivitis causing allergies, were defined as non-allergic asthmatics. The common percentage of non-allergic asthma among all asthma patients varies between 10–33% in different populations [25].

One of the patients with missing data on Hunner’s lesion status and two of her relatives had asthma (patient: allergic asthma, both relatives: non-allergic asthma); these cases are counted in the whole cohort’s values. (families = patients + relatives).

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