Tech Coloproctol (2015) 19:8387

DOI 10.1007/s10151-014-1238-5

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Abnormalities in collagen composition may contribute

to the pathogenesis of hemorrhoids: morphometric analysis
Y. Y. Nasseri E. Krott K. M. Van Groningen
M. Berho M. C. Osborne S. Wollman
E. G. Weiss S. D. Wexner

Received: 14 September 2014 / Accepted: 29 September 2014 / Published online: 9 November 2014
The Author(s) 2014. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

Abstract
Purpose While hemorrhoidal disease is common, its etiology remains unclear. It has been postulated that disturbances in collagen lead to reduced connective tissue
stability, and in turn to the development of hemorrhoidal
disease. We aimed to compare the quality and quantity of
collagen in patients with hemorrhoidal disease versus
normal controls.
Methods Specimens from 57 patients with grade III or IV
internal hemorrhoids undergoing hemorrhoidectomy
between 2006 and 2011 were evaluated. Samples from 20
human cadavers without hemorrhoidal disease served as
controls. Quality of collagen was analyzed by collagen I/III
ratio, and quantity of collagen was determined by collagen/
protein ratio. The study group was subdivided into gender
and age subgroups.
Results The male:female ratios in the study and control
groups were 30:27 and 10:10, respectively. Median age
was significantly less in the study group [46.9 years (range
2069)] compared to the control group [76 years (range
4690)] with P \ 0.05. Tissues from patients in the study
group had significantly lower collagen I/III ratio as compared to the control group (4.4 1.1 vs. 5.5 0.6;
P \ 0.0001). Nevertheless, despite a trend toward lower
collagen/protein ratio in the study group, it did not reach
statistical significance (57 42.4 vs. 73 32.5 g/mg;
Y. Y. Nasseri
K. M. Van Groningen
M. Berho

M. C. Osborne
S. Wollman
E. G. Weiss
S. D. Wexner (&)
Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida,
2950 Cleveland Clinic Blvd., Weston, FL 33331, USA
e-mail: [email protected]
E. Krott
Klinik fur Allgemein-, Visceral-und Transplantationschirurgie,
Universitatsklinikum Aachen, Aachen, Germany

P = 0.167). There was no difference in collagen I/III or

collagen/protein ratios among different age groups and
genders.
Conclusions Hemorrhoidal tissues from patients with
hemorrhoidal disease appear to have reduced mechanical
stability as compared to normal controls.
Keywords Hemorrhoids
Collagen
Pathogenesis

Connective

Introduction
Hemorrhoids have been described as far back as the preChristian era [1]. In 1830, de Montegre [2] assembled an
early literature review of 78 articles on hemorrhoids published between 1582 and 1817. His manuscript remarked
how little was known about the overall prevalence and risk
factors of hemorrhoidal disease; not much changed during
the past 200 years. Although most colorectal surgeons
recognize that hemorrhoids are common, they are unaware
of their true prevalence. Previous studies have reported
rates ranging from 4.4 [3] to 86 % in the general population [4].
Hemorrhoidal disease is defined as the symptomatic
enlargement and distal displacement of the normal anal
cushions [5]. The main theory regarding the pathophysiology of hemorrhoidal disease suggest that they are the
result of abnormal dilation of veins of the internal hemorrhoidal venous plexus, abnormal distention of the arteriovenous anastomosis, and prolapse of the cushions and
the surrounding connective tissue. Numerous factors have
been linked with hemorrhoidal disease including inadequate fiber intake, prolonged lavatory sitting, constipation,
diarrhea, and pregnancy. Family history of hemorrhoidal

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disease has also been suggested as a possible etiology.

However, there is no conclusive evidence of hereditary
predisposition.
Thompson [6] and Aigner et als [7] studies have shown
that hemorrhoidal disease is the consequence of disintegration of muscular and elastic components, leading to
distal shift of the vascular padding, and increased arterial
blood flow of the terminal branches of the superior rectal
artery, respectively. Further, it has been suggested that the
degradation of the extracellular matrices in hemorrhoids
during aging is a decisive pathway in the development of
hemorrhoidal disease [8]. The elastic and tensile strength of
hemorrhoids, as provided by elastic fibers and collagen,
respectively, and collagen metabolism, have also been
postulated to have effects on the development of hemorrhoidal disease [9]. Willis et al. [9] analyzed the quantity
and quality of collagen formation in the corpus cavernosum
recti in patients with grades III/IV internal hemorrhoids in
comparison with a control group of individuals without
hemorrhoidal disease. They found that disturbances in
collagen I/III and collagen/protein ratios lead to reduced
connective tissue stability, possibly contributing to the
development of hemorrhoidal disease. Nevertheless, their
study analyzed a relatively small number of patients with
hemorrhoidal disease.
We sought to study a larger cohort of patients and
compare the quality and quantity of collagen in patients
with internal hemorrhoidal disease (study group) versus
normal controls (control group) and among different genders and age groups within the study group.

Methods
Patients
Patients with grade III or IV internal hemorrhoids who
underwent standard hemorrhoidectomies between 2006 and
2011 were identified. Specimens from these patients were
collected and fixed in 10 % formalin and immediately
embedded in paraffin for later analysis. The study group
was further subdivided into one of two genders and one of
three age groups (20, 40, and 60 s).
The control group was made up of 20 human cadavers
without hemorrhoidal disease. In review of the past medical histories of these cadavers, hemorrhoidal disease was
never listed as a condition they had. All 20 cadavers died of
natural causes and were made available from the Institute
of Anatomy of the RWTH Aachen, Germany. The cadavers
were analyzed immediately after their arrival at the institute, and the anal and deep rectal skin and submucosa were
resected by traditional hemorrhoidectomy. Specimens from
the 20 controls were collected and fixed in 10 % formalin

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Tech Coloproctol (2015) 19:8387

after the procedure and immediately embedded in paraffin

for later analysis. An Institutional Review Board at the
Cleveland Clinic Florida approved this HIPAA compliant
study. No identifiers were included in our study.
Collagen/protein ratio
The relative amount or quantity of collagen was measured
by the collagen/protein ratio. Fifteen-micrometer-thick
specimens sealed in paraffin were collected from each
group and placed in test tubes. After the paraffin was
removed, the slices were stained with Sirius red and Fast
green dyes (Polysciences, Warrington, PA, USA). The
samples were then rinsed several times with distilled water
until the supernatant was colorless. Next, the dyes were
eluded from the sections by using 0.1 N NaOH in absolute
methanol. The resulting fluid was then immediately measured in a spectrophotometer at the wavelengths corresponding to the maximum absorbance of Sirius red
(535 nm) and Fast green (605 nm). Results were expressed
as the ratio of collagen (g) to non-collagenous protein
(mg).
Collagen type I/III ratio
The quality of the collagen from the specimens was evaluated by the collagen I/III ratio by means of cross-polarization microscopy at the same institution. Each specimen
was sliced into five-micrometer sections that were then
stained for 1 h in Picrosirius solution (0.1 % solution of
Sirius Red F3BA in saturated aqueous picric acid, pH 2).
The sections were then washed for 2 min in 0.01 N HCl,
dehydrated, cleared, and mounted in synthetic resin.
Thicker collagen I fibers were stained in re-orange shades
while thinner type III appeared as pale-green shades. For
every sample, 10 regions within the interface (400x, area
50 9 50 m) were captured by a digital camera (Olympus
C-3030, Hamburg Germany). The varying amounts of
collagen I/III ratios were obtained by analysis of the
amount of collagen type I and III using digital image
analysis software (Image-Pro Plus, Media Cybernetics,
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA). Results are expressed as
ratio of area of collagen type I and III.
Statistics
Statistical analysis was performed by PGS Medical Statistics using SAS Statistical software, V9.3. For the
descriptive analysis, the mean, standard deviation (SD),
median, minimum, and maximum values (range), and the
number of valid observations were calculated in each
group. A students t test was used to compare the study and
control groups and genders. Analysis of variance

Tech Coloproctol (2015) 19:8387

85

Table 1 A direct comparison

of study versus control groups

M:F
ratio

Mean age in
years (range)

Collagen
I/III ratio

P value
(collagen I/III)

Study (n = 57)

30:27

Control (n = 20)

10:10

46.9 (2069)

4.4 1.1

P \ 0.001

76 (469)

5.5 0.6

Collagen/protein
ratio (g/mg)

P value
(collagen/
protein)

57 42.4

0.167

73 32.5

Fig. 1 Sirius redstaining of

collagen I (red) and collagen III
(green) in a healthy control
person

Fig. 2 Sirius redstaining of

collagen I (red) and collagen III
(green) in a patient with
hemorrhoidal disease

(ANOVA) was used to compare the three age groups for

the collagen I/III ratio, while a KruskalWallis test was
used to compare the age groups for the collagen/protein
ratio. A P value of \0.05 was used to indicate statistical
significance.

Table 2 Comparison of different gender and age groups within the

study group
Study
(n = 57)

Collagen
I/III ratio

P value
(collagen
I/III)

Collagen/
protein
ratio (g/mg)

P value
(collagen/
protein)

50.8 32.6

0.258

Gender

Results
The mean age of the study group was 46.9 (2069), which
was significantly lower than the mean age of the control
group 76 (4690) years with P \ 0.05. The male:female
ratios for the study and control groups were 30:27 and
10:10, respectively.
Collagen type I/III ratio
The mean collagen I/III ratio was significantly lower in
patients with hemorrhoidal disease as compared to the
control group (4.4 1.1 vs. 5.5 0.6; P \ 0.001;
Table 1). See Figs. 1 and 2 for representative comparative
collagen I/III ratio slides. Within the study group, there was
no significant difference in the collagen I/III ratio between
men and women (4.4 1.2 vs. 4.3 1.0; P = 0.612) and

Male (n = 30)

4.4 1.2 0.612

Female
(n = 27)

4.3 1.0

64 50.9

Age
20 s (n = 17)

4.3 1.2 0.124

40 s (n = 18)

4.8 1.2

46.3 23.6

65 62.8

60 s (n = 22)

4.1 1.0

59.7 34.4

0.314

among the 20 s (n = 17), 40 s (n = 18), and 60 s (n = 22)

aged subgroups (4.3 1.2, 4.8 1.2, 4.4 1.0;
P = 0.124; Table 2).
Collagen/protein ratio
The mean collagen/protein ratio was not significantly lower
in patients with hemorrhoidal disease as compared to the
control group (57 42.4 vs. 73 32.5 g/mg; P = 0.167;
Table 1). Within the study group, there was no significant

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difference in the mean collagen/protein ratio between men

and women (50.8 32.6 vs. 64 50.9 g/mg; P = 0.258)
and among the 20, 40, and 60 s aged subgroups
(65 62.8, 46.3 23.6, 59.7 34.4 g/mg; P = 0.124;
Table 2).

Discussion
Collagen is the major insoluble fibrous protein in the
extracellular matrix and connective tissue and is the single
most abundant protein in the animal kingdom. While there
are at least 16 types of collagen, 8090 % of the collagen
in the body consists of types I, II, and III [10]. Type I
collagen fibers have immense tensile strength and can
withstand enormous forces, while type III collagen are
thinner and more immature [10, 11]. The strength and
quality of connective tissue is primarily determined by the
amount and ratio of collagens Type I and III. Decreased
Type I to III collagen ratio translates into decreased amount
of cross-linking and hence, reduced mechanical stability of
connective tissue.
Our data clearly indicated a decrease in Type I/III collagen ratio in patients with hemorrhoidal disease as compared to normal controls. This finding may link reduced
mechanical stability and tensile strength in extracellular
matrix with development of hemorrhoidal disease. Our
study further demonstrated a lower trend in the collagen/
protein ratio in patients with hemorrhoidal disease,
although this did not reach statistical difference as was seen
in the Willis et al. [9] study. This difference can be
attributed to difference in the power of the two studies.
Although hemorrhoidal disease has been associated with
older age, we failed to demonstrate any difference in
quality or quantity of hemorrhoids among different age
groups within the study group. This finding may be due to
either the small number of patients in each age group or to
the fact that only patients with known hemorrhoidal disease
were compared. Perhaps there is a true degradation in
collagen with age in the general population, but due
to genetic/hereditary factors, patients with hemorrhoidal
disease are subject to earlier and more rapid tissue
degradation.
The previously held belief that connective tissue disease
directly correlates with hernias and genitourinary prolapse
may also hold true with hemorrhoidal disease [12, 13]. As
mentioned in the study by Willis et al., we too believe that
hemorrhoidal turnover and degradation is likely the
sequelae of genetic, metabolic, and environmental
components.
One of the limitations of our study is the relatively small
number of control patients. One must bear in mind that it is
difficult to find hemorrhoidal tissue from live surgical

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patients without hemorrhoidal disease as those are usually

found in patients who have undergone abdominoperineal
resections. Tissues from these patients would not be ideal
for the control group as they are usually from patients with
inflammatory bowel disease or low rectal or anal cancers,
following immunosuppressive use and chemoradiation,
respectively; as such, we had to limit our control group to
cadaver tissues of patients who died of natural causes. A
possible criticism may be that cadaver tissues are different
and not completely comparable with live human tissue due
to possible differences in processing and preservation, as
well as natural decay of tissues following death. Moreover,
the German cadavers collagen composition may differ
from the control group in Florida due to genetic influences
and patient location. There is also a large difference in age
between the study and control groups. While the use of
cadaver tissue as our controls may be a potential weakness,
it could also add strength to our study for various reasons.
First, we were able to show that the control group had
better quality collagen despite being at an advanced age
with postmortem processing of tissue and subsequent
morphological changes. Secondly, one could hypothesize
that age and postmortem processing may lead to lower
quality collagen, but we found this correlation not to be
true. These findings support our point that genetic and
hereditary factors may lead to reduced quality collagen and
thus an earlier onset of hemorrhoidal disease. Within this
study, we did not focus on collagen-vascular disorders such
as EhlersDanlos or osteogenesis imperfecta and the belief
that these disorders have a higher propensity to develop
hemorrhoidal disease remains a subject of future
investigation.
The main strength of our study lies in the relatively large
number of patients with hemorrhoidal disease that were
included. Additionally, our study likely gains further
validity as it re-enforces the results of the study by Willis
et al. relative to collagen I/III ratio and in the lack of difference among different age groups and genders.
The clinical relevance of our study may lie in the possible treatment options targeting enhancement and stimulation of collagen as extrapolated from other specialties.
Bovine collagen injections have been used in the USA
since the 1980s and have proven effective for correcting
soft tissue contour irregularities [14]. Intra-anal collagen
injections have shown to be simple, safe, and effective in
the long-term treatment of fecal incontinence [15]. Additionally, fractional ablative lasers have been shown to
induce wound healing and collagen remodeling responses
[16]. Thus, collagen injections and lasers that enhance and
stimulate collagen may prove effective in the treatment of
hemorrhoidal disease.
Conflict of interest

None.

Tech Coloproctol (2015) 19:8387

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the
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author(s) and the source are credited.

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