Leptin, its receptor and aromatase expression in deep infiltrating endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the leptin levels in the serum and peritoneal fluid (PF) and the protein expression in three different peritoneal ectopic implants in patients who underwent surgery for deep infiltrating endometriosis. METHODS: All patients had been treated at the Department of Gynecology of the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro. The study group consisted of 15 patients who underwent surgery for adnexal masses and infertility, while the control group consisted of ten women who underwent surgery for tubal ligation. Peritoneal fluid and samples tissues were collected during surgery. Serum samples were obtained before anesthesia. In this study, the leptin levels in the serum and peritoneal fluid (PF) were evaluated by ELISA. The protein expression of leptin and its receptors (ObR) and aromatase enzyme were evaluated by Western blot analysis of the intestine, uterosacral ligament and vaginal septum in the ectopic implants. The t-test and one-way ANOVA with Holm-Sìdak post-test were used, and p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Compared to the controls, the serum leptin levels (control = 14.7 ng/mL ± 2.63, endometriosis = 19.2 ng/mL ± 1.84, p < 0.0001) were increased, while in PF, there was no difference (control = 6.68 ng/mL ± 0.43, endometriosis = 7.71 ng/mL ± 0.59, p = 0.18). Comparing women with and without ovarian implants, the leptin levels in both the serum and PF were significantly higher in women without ovarian implants (serum: with ovarian implant = 15.85 ± 1.99; without ovarian implant = 23.14 ± 2.60; ng/mL, p = 0.04; PF: with ovarian implant = 4.28 ± 1.30; without ovarian implant = 11.18 ± 2.98;ng/mL, p = 0.048). The leptin, ObR and aromatase protein expression levels were increased in lesions in the vaginal septum and were decreased in the intestine lesions. CONCLUSION: This study reports several interesting associations between the leptin levels in serum, peritoneal fluid, and tissue samples and the localization of the ectopic endometrium. Although this study does not provide a clear picture of the role of leptin in the development and progression of peritoneal implants, it contributed new data that might be useful to elucidating the enigma that is the role of leptin in endometriosis disease.

Increased expression of the leptin receptor in human ovaries affected by endometrioma and detection of high levels of leptin in the ovarian endometriomal fluid.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate leptin levels in the fluid in ovarian endometriomas (OEs) and to compare the expression of leptin and its receptors (OBR) in ovarian tissue affected by endometrioma in infertile women to its expression in the normal ovarian tissue of fertile controls without endometriosis. METHODS: In this case-control observational study, ovarian tissue, blood samples and peritoneal fluid were obtained from 20 women (10 fertile controls without endometriosis or any ovarian disease, who were undergoing tubal ligation surgery, and 10 infertile women with severe endometriosis and OE). The ovarian endometriomal fluid (EF) was aspirated, and peritoneal-implant (PI) biopsies were performed. The tissues removed during the surgeries were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen to determine expression levels by western blot and leptin levels by ELISA. RESULTS: OBR was expressed at higher levels in the ovarian tissue affected by endometrioma than in the normal ovarian tissue (control = 0.38 ± 0.05, study = 0.60 ± 0.09, p = 0.03), but there was no significant difference in leptin levels between these groups (control = 0.57 ± 0.1, study = 0.35 ± 0.1, p = 0.18). Positive and significant correlations were observed between leptin and OBR in the OE (r = 0.85, p = 0.004) and in the PI (r = 0.87, p = 0.001). ELISA results demonstrate a greater leptin concentration within the EF compared with the serum and the PF (serum = 14.25 ± 1.63, PF = 5.98 ± 2.0, EF = 73.8 ± 16.2, p = 0.0001), but there was no correlation between these variables. A positive, significant and strong correlation was observed between PF leptin levels and the expression of leptin and OBR in PI (leptin: r = 0.78, p = 0.007/OBR: r = 0.68, p = 0.04) and between the EF leptin levels and the expression of leptin and OBR in the OE (leptin: r = 0.88, p = 0.008/OBR: r = 0.89, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that leptin may play an important role in the physiopathology of OE through a modulatory interaction with its active receptor.

Endometriosis of the round ligament of the uterus.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the prevalence of endometriosis in the intrapelvic portion of the round ligaments of the uterus (RLUs) and to propose criteria for their excision. DESIGN: Retrospective case series analysis of women undergoing laparoscopy for the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS: We evaluated 174 patients who underwent laparoscopy for the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) between April 2006 and May 2009. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent laparoscopy for the treatment of DIE and had their RLUs removed when there was shortening, deviation, or thickening. After removal, the RLUs were sent for histopathologic analysis to verify the presence or absence of endometriosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The prevalence of endometriosis in the RLUs and the association between the macroscopic alterations and the anatomic pathology results were determined. After the identification of macroscopic alterations, 1 or both RLUs (for a total of 42) were removed from 27 of the 174 patients who underwent laparoscopy. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the macroscopic criteria proposed for endometriosis of the RLU was 83.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 72.1%-94.5%), with 35 positive RLUs out of the 42 that were excised. The prevalence of endometriosis of the RLU was 13.8% (95% CI = 8.7%-18.9%), with 24 patients having a positive histopathologic examination result for endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of RLU endometriosis in patients with DIE was 13.8%, which emphasizes that a rigorous evaluation of this structure must be part of the routine surgical treatment of patients with endometriosis.

Diagnostic hysteroscopy using liquid distention medium: comparison of pain with warmed saline solution vs room-temperature saline solution.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare pain intensity and degree of satisfaction reported by patients undergoing hysteroscopic examinations using saline solution kept at room temperature (control group) or saline solution heated to 37.5°C (test group). DESIGN: Randomized, controlled, prospective study (Canadian Task Force Classification I). PATIENTS: Sixty-four women underwent diagnostic hysteroscopy during the second half of 2008. INTERVENTION: In both the test and control groups, examinations were performed using the vaginoscopy technique without use of a speculum or Pozzi tenaculum forceps. Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale immediately after the examination and at 1 and 15 minutes after the procedure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Immediately after the examination, mean (SD; 95% confidence interval) pain intensity in the warmed saline solution group was 3.84 (2.71; 2.89-4.79), and in the room-temperature saline solution group was 4.31 (3.02; 3.18-5.44) (p = .51). At 1 and 15 minutes after the procedure, pain intensity in the 2 groups was, respectively, 2.41 (2.00; 1.66-3.16) and 2.43 (2.49; 1.57-3.30) (p = .96), and 1.83 (2.30; 1.02-2.64) and 1.85 (2.06; 1.08-2.62) (p = .96). Differences were not significant. Time to complete the examination was 3.80 (1.32; 3.34-4.26) minutes in the test group, and 3.75 (1.10; 3.34-4.15) minutes in the control group (p = .82). The satisfaction rate with the warmed distention medium was 84% (95% confidence interval, 72%-96%), and with the room-temperature saline solution was 85% (73%-97%) with saline at room temperature (p = .48). CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups insofar as pain, duration of the examination, and degree of patient satisfaction.

Identificação de DNA-HPV em adolescentes e mulheres jovens sem coito vaginal / Identification of DNA-HPV in adolescent and young women with no intercourse

Introdução: o papilomavírus humano (HPV) é um vírus bastante prevalente no mundo. Atualmente existem em torno de 200 tipos identificados, e destes,aproximadamente 45 acometem a área anogenital. Embora se saiba da alta prevalência de infecções pelo HPV entre adolescentes com atividade sexual,poucos estudos têm conseguido demonstrar a presença do vírus entre meninas antes da coitarca. Objetivo: determinar a prevalência de papilomavírus humano (HPV) em adolescentes e mulheres jovens sem coitarca. Métodos: foram avaliadas 50 mulheres adolescentes atendidas no ambulatório deginecologia infanto-puberal do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE) da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro com idade até 20 anos, que relatavam não ter tido coitarca e apresentavam hímen íntegro no exame físico feito por ginecologista de larga experiência, entre janeiro de 2007 a janeiro de 2009. Foi realizada coleta em região de vestíbulo vulvar e o material foi encaminhado ao laboratório de biologia molecular para detecção de DNA HPV por método de captura híbrida de 2a geração (hC2). Resultados: nas 50 pacientes testadas para DNA-HPV a idade variou de 11 a 20 anos completos(média: 15,88 + 2,04) e todas negavam coito e apresentavam hímen íntegro. O teste de DNA-HPV por hC2 foi positivo em três casos (6%). Em dois casos foi detectado HPV de não alto risco e em um caso, HPV de alto risco. Após seis meses, um segundo teste de DNA-HPV foi negativo em duas das três pacientes. A terceira não foi testada. Conclusão: a infecção pelo HPV pode ocorrer antes da coitarca e mesmo nas situações em que não há contato genital.

Introduction: the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus is an extremely prevalent in the world. Currently there are around 200 types identified, about 45 of which affect the anogenital area. Although the high prevalence of HPV infection among sexually active adolescents is known, few studies have succeeded in demonstrating the presence of the virus among girls before sexual intercourse. Objective: to assess the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) inadolescents and young women prior to coitarche assisted at an out patient gynecological unit. Methods: this study included 50 adolescents assisted at the gynecology unit in University Hospital Pedro Ernesto (HUPE), State University of Rio de Janeiro. The patients were below 20 years old, who reported no sexual intercourse and with intact hymen on physical examination by a gynecologist with broad experience, from January 2007 to January 2009. The material for study was collected from vulvar vestibule for detection of HPV-DNA by Hybrid Capture second generation (hC2). Results: in the 50 patientstested for HPV-DNA age ranged from 11 to 20 years old (mean: 15.88 + 2.04) and all of them denied coitus and had intact hymen. The hC2 was positive inthree cases (6%). In two cases non-high risk HPV was detected and in one case high-risk HPV was identified. After 6 months, a second test for HPV-DNA was negative in two out of three patients. The third one was not tested. Conclusion: HPV infection can occur before the first sexual intercourse and evenin situations where there is no genital contact.