VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) Expression and Angiogenesis in Invasive Cervical Cancer / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: A large body of evidence suggests that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important to tumor growth and angiogenesis in cancers. This study was designed to determine the relationship between tumor vascularity and VEGF expression in invasive cervical cancer. Furthermore, we also compared the clinical factors with VEGF expression. METHODS: We examined the expression of VEGF and microvessel density (MVD) by immunohistochemical staining in 20 specimens collected from invasive cervical cancer patients. Thereafter, we compared the results with several clinical factors. We used the Chi-square test and One way Anova test for statistical analysis. RESULTS: All specimens showed weak and strong immunoreactivity. Microvessel counts were high in the strong (median 157.6) VEGF immunoreactivity and low in the weak (median 90) VEGF immunoreactivity (P=0.000). In addition, parametrium invasion showed statistically significant correlation with VEGF expression extent (p=0.021) but age, SCC, CEA, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node invasion and invasion depth of cervix showed no correlation. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of VEGF may play an important role in the promotion of angiogenesis in cervical cancer and may have relation to prognosis.

A case of Pelvic Actinomycosis Associated with Intrauterine Device / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Actinomycosis is a chronic, progressive, suppurative disease which appears to be difficult to establish a correct preoperative diagnosis. Most of pelvic actinomycosis in women are related to a long time intrauterine device(IUD) inserted state. The causative agent is a branching, gram-positive anaerobic or microaerobic organism, not fungi. Ascending infection of the upper genital tract by actinomycosis may be clinically inapparent. We experienced a case of clinically inapparent tuboovarian actinomycosis in a 47-year-old women with IUD, discovered pathologically after laparotomy.

Cyclooxygenase - 2 Expression in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Cervical Cancer / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: A large body of evidence suggests that cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) is important in tumorigenesis of gastrointestinal cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether COX-2 was also expressed in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN) and invasive cervical carcinoma. METHODS: We studied the expression of COX-2 in normal cervix(n=6), CIN I(n=4), CIN II(n=2), CIN III(n=15), microinvasive carcinoma(n=5) and invasive carcinoma(n=7) by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We observed strong COX-2 expression in 16.7% of the normal cervix, 0% of the CIN I and II, 80.0% of CIN III, 60.0% of microinvasive carcinoma and 71.4% of invasive carcinoma. The intensity of immunostaining was stronger in the CIN III and invasive cancer than the normal cervix and CIN I lesions(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that COX-2 may have a role in carcinogenesis of CIN and may be a target for the prevention or treatment of CIN and invasive cervical cancer.

A study of Cytokine in Peritoneal Fluid of Infertile Patients with Endometriosis / 대한불임학회지

OBJECTIVE: The presence of the various cytokines in human peritoneal fluid has been evaluated incompletely. Changes in cytokine lefels may be related to activation of peritoneal macrophage and T-lymphocyte, development of endometriosis, and infertility. This study assesses peritoneal fluid levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in infertile women with endometriosis and normal women without endometriosis. Design : Prospective and case-control study in university hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytokine levels in peritoneal fluid obtained during laparotomy or laparoscopy from 21 patients in infertile patients in infertile patients with endometriosis and 24 controls undergoing laparotomy or laparoscopy with no evidence of pelvic endometriosis were determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean levels of interleukin-6 in infertile patients with endometriosis and controls were 72.7+/-23.7 pg/ml and 18.5+/-9.7 pg/ml respectively (p=0.02). Similarly, the mean levels of interleukin-8 in infertile patients with endometriosis was significantly higher than that of controls (445.0+/-89.6, vs 45.1+/-48.4, p=0.04). The mean concentration of interleukin-10 in infertile patients with endometriosis was significantly lower than that of controls (1.09+/-0.04 vs 2.19+/-0.03, p=0.03). The level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was not significantly different between the two study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IL-6 and IL-8 and decreased IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid may be related to pathogenesis in the endometriosis and infertility, suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in infertili women with endometriosis.