Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aimed to combine plasma netrin-1 and clinical parameters to construct a diagnostic model for bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). METHODS: We analyzed the independent diagnostic value of netrin-1 and the correlation with clinical symptom scores of BPS/IC. Clinical parameters were selected using LASSO regression, and a multivariate logistic regression model based on netrin-1 was established, and then a nomogram of BPS/IC prevalence was constructed. The nomogram was evaluated using calibration curves, the C-index, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Finally, the model was validated using an internal validation method. RESULTS: The area under the curve for the ability of netrin-1 to independently predict BPS/IC diagnosis was 0.858 (p < 0.001), with a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 82%. The predicted nomogram included three variables: age, CD3 + /CD4 + T lymphocyte ratio, and netrin-1. The C-index of this nomogram was 0.882, and the predicted values were highly consistent with the actual results in the calibration curve. In addition, the internally validated C-index of 0.870 confirms the high reliability of the model. DCA results show that the net patient benefit of the netrin-1 combined with other clinical parameters was higher than that of the single netrin-1 model. CONCLUSION: Netrin-1 can be used as a diagnostic marker for BPS/IC and is associated with pain. The nomogram constructed by combining netrin-1 and clinical parameters was able to predict BPS/IC with great accuracy. In addition, Netrin-1 may also serve as a novel therapeutic target for BPS/IC.