INTRODUCTION: Bladder cancer (BC) is a serious medical problem. The high rate of 
recurrence and progression demands the development of new methods, such as 
genetic markers, which allow diagnosis and patient follow-up.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare expression of HIF-1, GLUT1, 
endoglin, and BRIC5 in patients without and those with BC. The second group was 
divided into sub-groups: those without a history of PDD (photodynamic diagnosis) 
in the diagnostic process and those after PDD.
METHODS: Patients with BC were diagnosed using the PDD method using 
hexaminolevulinate (Hexvix(®)). The expressions of HIF-1, GLUT1, endoglin, and 
BRIC5 genes were established in urine specimens by real-time quantitative 
polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
RESULTS: The expressions of all tested genes were higher in the group of 
patients with BC than in the group without BC. In the group after PDD, a 
statistically significant overexpression of HIF-1 was observed. In this group, 
changes were not observed in cases of the other three tested genes.
CONCLUSIONS: The differences between the group with PDD and the group without it 
can be connected with the direct influence of PDD on malignant tissue, which can 
cause overexpression of HIF-1 only. This is, however, only a hypothesis and 
needs further study.