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Cicinelli E, McQueen DB, Huepfel B, Vitagliano A, Moreno I, Simon C, Pirtea P, Scott RT, Bellavia M, de Ziegler D. Should patients be screened for chronic endometritis before assisted reproductive technology? Fertil Steril 2022; 118:639-652. [PMID: 36182261 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.08.846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Cicinelli
- Department of Biomedical and Human Oncological Science (DIMO), 1st Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bari, Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Dana B McQueen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois
| | - Bridget Huepfel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois
| | - Amerigo Vitagliano
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Inmaculada Moreno
- Carlos Simon Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos Simon
- Carlos Simon Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (INCLIVA), Valencia, Spain; Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidad de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology BIDMC, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paul Pirtea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Hospital Foch, Suresnes, France.
| | - Richard T Scott
- IVIRMA New Jersey, Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Marina Bellavia
- Direttore Sanitario FMH Ginecologia - Ostetricia ed Procreazione Medico Assistita
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Infertility workup: identifying endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2022; 118:29-33. [PMID: 35568524 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis was classically diagnosed during diagnostic laparoscopies, which used to be routinely performed up until a decade ago or so. This practice fitted with the long-held belief that surgery was the gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis. Today, the abandon of routine diagnostic laparoscopies-in favor of assisted reproductive technology-first therapeutic approaches-has created a void for diagnosing endometriosis. Modern-day imaging techniques-ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging-when used with a systematic approach have offered a reliable replacement option for diagnosing endometriosis. In infertility, endometriosis should be identified or excluded on the basis of past history or confirmation or exclusion suspicion on the basis of history and/or physical examination.
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Bastianelli C, Farris M, Bruni V, Brosens I, Benagiano G. Pharmacodynamics of combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives: 4. Effects on uterine and cervical epithelia. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2020; 13:163-182. [PMID: 31975619 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2020.1721280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Steroid hormones are responsible for specific changes in the endometrium during the menstrual cycle, when they are sequentially secreted and, because of this, in the early days sequential combined oral contraceptive regimens were utilized. The same basic concept has been utilized with multi-phasic regimens, in order to produce endometrial pictures mimicking the normal cycle.Areas covered: The Endometrial effects of progestins and estrogens; combined monophasic high- (50 μg), medium- (30 μg), low- (20 μg), ultralow- (15 μg) estrogen content; sequential regimens; multiphasic combinations; treatment schedules.Cervical effects of combined high-dose and sequential combinations, including evidence for an increase in malignant lesions.Expert opinion: Overall, combined oral contraceptives (COCs) inhibit normal proliferative changes and the endometrium becomes thin, narrow, with widely spaced glands and pre-decidual changes in the stroma. During the first few cycles the progestin induces a coexistence of proliferative and secretory features; with time, the picture changes because the progestin induces a down-regulation of estrogen receptors, resulting in tortuous glands similar to those in the secretory phase, but characterized by a quiescent, atrophic glandular epithelium.In the cervical epithelium, under the influence of high-dose COCs, endocervical glands became hypersecretory and in some instances, distinctive type of atypical polypoid endocervical hyperplasia is found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Bastianelli
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gynecology and Urology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Farris
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gynecology and Urology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,AIED (Italian Association for Demographic Education), Rome, Italy
| | - V Bruni
- University of Florence, Florence Italy
| | - Ivo Brosens
- Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Giuseppe Benagiano
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gynecology and Urology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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de Ziegler D, Pirtea P, Galliano D, Cicinelli E, Meldrum D. Optimal uterine anatomy and physiology necessary for normal implantation and placentation. Fertil Steril 2016; 105:844-54. [PMID: 26926252 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The authors review aberrations of uterine anatomy and physiology affecting pregnancy outcomes with IVF. In the case of endometriosis and hydrosalpinx, pathologies outside of the uterus alter the uterine endometrium. In the case of endometriosis, Dominique de Ziegler outlines the numerous changes in gene expression and the central role of inflammation in causing progesterone resistance. With endometriosis, the absence of ovarian function inherent in deferred transfer, with or without a more lengthy suppression of ovarian function, appears to be sufficient to restore normal function of eutopic endometrium. Because laparoscopy is no longer routine in the evaluation of infertility, unrecognized endometriosis then becomes irrelevant in the context of assisted reproductive technology. With hydrosalpinx and submucus myomas, the implantation factor HOXA-10 is suppressed in the endometrium and, with myomas, even in areas of the uterus not directly affected. Daniela Galliano reviews various uterine pathologies, the most enigmatic being adenomyosis, where the endometrium also manifests many of the changes seen in endometriosis and deferred transfer with extended suppression appears to provide the best outcomes. Ettore Cicinelli's group has extensively studied the diagnosis and treatment of endometritis, and although more definitive diagnosis and care of this covert disorder may await techniques such as sequencing of the endometrial microbiome, it undoubtedly is an important factor in implantation failure, deserving our attention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique de Ziegler
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris Sorbonne Cité-Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, CHU Cochin, Paris, France.
| | - Paul Pirtea
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris Sorbonne Cité-Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, CHU Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Daniela Galliano
- Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI), Rome, Italy and Barcelona, Spain; IVI Foundation, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ettore Cicinelli
- 2nd Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Biomedical and Human Oncologic Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - David Meldrum
- Reproductive Partners San Diego, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, University of California, San Diego, California
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Vaginally Administered Danazol: An Overlooked Option in the Treatment of Rectovaginal Endometriosis? JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY CANADA 2015; 37:1098-103. [DOI: 10.1016/s1701-2163(16)30075-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ferrero S, Alessandri F, Racca A, Leone Roberti Maggiore U. Treatment of pain associated with deep endometriosis: alternatives and evidence. Fertil Steril 2015; 104:771-792. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Maia H, Haddad C, Casoy J. Combining oral contraceptives with a natural nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain. Int J Womens Health 2013; 6:35-9. [PMID: 24379702 PMCID: PMC3873204 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s55210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a chronic disease in which a persistent state of heightened inflammation is maintained by nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation. The progestins present in oral contraceptives are potent inhibitors of NF-κB translocation to cell nuclei, while Pycnogenol® (Pinus pinaster) acts by blocking post-translational events. In this study, the effects of Pycnogenol on pain scores were investigated in patients with endometriosis using oral contraceptives containing either gestodene or drospirenone in extended regimens. Pain scores were determined using a visual analog scale before and after 3 months of treatment. Oral contraceptives, used alone (groups 1 and 3) or in association with Pycnogenol (groups 2 and 4), resulted in significant decreases in pain scores after 3 months of treatment; however, this reduction was significantly greater in the groups using oral contraceptives + Pycnogenol (groups 2 and 4) compared with those using oral contraceptives alone (groups 1 and 3). In the groups using oral contraceptives alone, 50% of patients became pain-free by the end of the third month of treatment. These results suggest that Pycnogenol increases the efficacy of oral contraceptives for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Maia
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil ; Itaigara Memorial Day Hospital, Bahia, Brazil ; Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana (CEPARH), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Clarice Haddad
- Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana (CEPARH), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Julio Casoy
- Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana (CEPARH), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Maia H, Haddad C, Pinheiro N, Casoy J. The effect of oral contraceptives on aromatase and Cox-2 expression in the endometrium of patients with idiopathic menorrhagia or adenomyosis. Int J Womens Health 2013; 5:293-9. [PMID: 23788841 PMCID: PMC3684227 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s45093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The presence of aromatase and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) expression was investigated in the endometrium of patients with idiopathic menorrhagia or adenomyosis. The effect of oral contraceptives administered in extended regimens on the endometrial expression of these enzymes was also investigated. Methods and results Aromatase expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in the endometrial glands and stroma of patients with idiopathic menorrhagia or adenomyosis. There was no difference in the percentage of aromatase expression in the endometria between the two groups. The mean intensity of Cox-2 expression in the glandular epithelium also did not differ significantly between the groups. Among the patients using oral contraceptives in extended regimens, the relative decrease in both aromatase and Cox-2 expression was significantly greater in amenorrheic patients compared with those who were experiencing breakthrough bleeding. Conclusion The presence of aromatase expression in the endometrium is associated with the occurrence of menorrhagia, irrespective of the presence of adenomyosis. Continuous expression of these enzymes in the endometrium of users of oral contraceptives in extended regimens is positively associated with the presence of breakthrough bleeding. This suggests a role for both aromatase and Cox-2 in the etiology of abnormal uterine bleeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Maia
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil ; School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil ; School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Maia H, Haddad C, Coelho G, Casoy J. Role of inflammation and aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium and its relationship with the development of endometriosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [PMID: 23181530 DOI: 10.2217/whe.12.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic changes favoring the transcription of the aromatase gene in the endometrium allow endometrial cells to survive in ectopic locations by producing estrogens that spare them from destruction through activated macrophages. Local estrogen production hastens prostaglandin synthesis by stimulating COX-2 activity, thus creating a self-perpetuating sequence of augmented estrogen formation and enhanced inflammation. Repetitive retrograde menstruation reintroduces aromatase-positive endometrial cells endowed with the capacity to implant and invade the peritoneum. In order to control endometriosis, an effective medication must inhibit aromatase, block COX-2, decrease fibrosis and induce amenorrhea. Within this framework, progestins, either alone or in the form of oral contraceptives, appear as first-line treatment for endometriosis owing to their capacity to block enzymes such as aromatase and COX-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Maia
- Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana (CEPARH) & Instituto da Mulher, Rua Caetano Moura, 35, 40210-341 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
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Oral contraceptives in the prevention of endometrioma recurrence: does the different progestins used make a difference? Arch Gynecol Obstet 2013; 288:821-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00404-013-2841-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Streuli I, de Ziegler D, Santulli P, Marcellin L, Borghese B, Batteux F, Chapron C. An update on the pharmacological management of endometriosis. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2013; 14:291-305. [PMID: 23356536 DOI: 10.1517/14656566.2013.767334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Endometriosis is a common disease that causes pain symptoms and/or infertility in women in their reproductive years. The disease is characterised by the presence of endometrium-like tissue - glands and stroma - outside the uterine cavity. Different treatment options exist for endometriosis including medical and surgical treatments or a combination of the two approaches. The most commonly used medications are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, GnRH agonists, androgen derivatives such as danazol, combined oral contraceptive pills, progestogens and more recently the levonorgestrel intrauterine system. AREAS COVERED The authors review current medical treatments used for symptomatic endometriosis and also discuss new treatment approaches. The authors conducted a literature search for randomised controlled trials related to medical treatments of endometriosis in humans, searched the Cochrane library for reviews and also searched for registered trials that have not yet been published on ClinicalTrials.gov. EXPERT OPINION The medical treatment of endometriosis is effective at treating pain and preventing recurrence of disease after surgery. Remarkably, the oral contraceptive pill taken continuously is as effective as GnRH-a, while causing far less side-effects. Conversely, no treatment currently exists for enhancing fecundity in women whose infertility is associated with endometriosis. As all existing therapies of endometriosis are contraceptive, great efforts should be targeted at researching novel products that reduce the disease expression without shuttering ovulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Streuli
- Service de gynécologie, obstétrique et médecine de la reproduction, Groupe hospitalier du centre Cochin -- Broca -- Hôtel-Dieu, CHU Cochin, Paris, France
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Lee DY, Choi D. Clinical use of oral contraceptives. JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 2013. [DOI: 10.5124/jkma.2013.56.4.321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Yun Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - DooSeok Choi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Maia H, Haddad C, Pinheiro N, Casoy J. Advantages of the association of resveratrol with oral contraceptives for management of endometriosis-related pain. Int J Womens Health 2012; 4:543-9. [PMID: 23091400 PMCID: PMC3474155 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s36825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of resveratrol on the management of endometriosis-related pain was investigated in 12 patients who failed to obtain pain relief during use of an oral contraceptive containing drospirenone + ethinylestradiol. METHODS AND RESULTS The addition of 30 mg of resveratrol to the contraceptive regimen resulted in a significant reduction in pain scores, with 82% of patients reporting complete resolution of dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain after 2 months of use. In a separate experiment, aromatase and cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression were investigated in the endometrial tissue of 42 patients submitted to laparoscopy and hysteroscopy for the management of endometriosis. Sixteen of these patients were using oral contraceptives alone prior to hospital admission, while the remaining 26 were using them in combination with resveratrol. Inhibition of both aromatase and cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression was significantly greater in the eutopic endometrium of patients using combined drospirenone + resveratrol therapy compared with the endometrium of patients using oral contraceptives alone. CONCLUSION These results suggest that resveratrol potentiates the effect of oral contraceptives in the management of endometriosis-associated dysmenorrhea by further decreasing aromatase and cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression in the endometrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Maia
- Itaigara Memorial Day Hospital, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil ; Centro de Pesquisas e Assistência em Reprodução Humana, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Maia H, Haddad C, Casoy J. Correlation between aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of symptomatic patients and the presence of endometriosis. Int J Womens Health 2012; 4:61-5. [PMID: 22393305 PMCID: PMC3292405 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s29154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate whether aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium correlates with the presence and severity of endometriosis in patients with infertility and/or dysmenorrhea undergoing laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. Patients The study involved 106 patients of reproductive age with symptoms of dysmenorrhea and infertility. Sixteen endometriosis-free asymptomatic patients were used as a control group. Methods Concomitant laparoscopy and hysteroscopy was carried out in all cases. An endometrial biopsy was taken to determine aromatase p450 expression by immunohistochemistry. Endometriosis was staged according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine classification. Results Endometriosis was diagnosed by laparoscopy in 92/106 symptomatic patients. In this group, aromatase expression was detected in the eutopic endometrium of 66/92 patients with endometriosis (72%) and in 13/14 (95%) patients in the symptomatic, endometriosis-free group (P = 0.09). Aromatase expression was not detected in any patients from the control group. In the endometriosis group, aromatase expression was detected in the eutopic endometrium of 28/45 patients (62%) with American Society of Reproductive Medicine classification stage 1 of the disease, in 11/14 patients (78%) with stage II, 14/20 patients (70%) with stage III, and in 12/13 patients (92%) with stage IV; however, the difference was only statistically significant between stages I and IV (P = 0.04). Conclusion Aromatase expression in the endometrium was associated with the presence of dysmenorrhea and infertility irrespective of the presence of endometriosis. When endometriosis was present, however, there was a tendency for aromatase expression to be positively correlated with dysmenorrhea severity.
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Cheewadhanaraks S, Choksuchat C, Dhanaworavibul K, Liabsuetrakul T. Postoperative Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate versus Continuous Oral Contraceptive Pills in the Treatment of Endometriosis-Associated Pain: A Randomized Comparative Trial. Gynecol Obstet Invest 2012; 74:151-6. [DOI: 10.1159/000337713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Colette S, Donnez J. Are aromatase inhibitors effective in endometriosis treatment? Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2011; 20:917-31. [DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2011.581226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Maia H, Casoy J, Valente Filho J. Is aromatase expression in the endometrium the cause of endometriosis and related infertility? Gynecol Endocrinol 2009; 25:253-7. [PMID: 19340622 DOI: 10.1080/09513590802627647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aromatase expression in the endometrium seems to play a pivotal role in the development of endometriotic lesions. Because inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 appear to activate aromatase in the cells of the endometrial stroma, it was hypothesised that the ensuing inflammation caused by the arrival of aromatase-positive cells in the peritoneal cavity would stimulate local estrogen production, which would in turn facilitate the development of endometriotic lesions by suppressing macrophage phagocytosis. Aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium will also hamper ovum nidation, thus causing infertility. Progestins, such as gestodene and danazol, are potent inhibitors of aromatase expression in the endometrium, and the use of vaginal rings with danazol in doses that do not block ovulation is associated with the occurrence of pregnancy in patients with severe endometriosis without the need for surgery. A local effect on the endometrium suppressing aromatase expression has been suggested as a possible mechanism of action for the danazol ring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Maia
- Centro de Pesquisas e Assistencia em Reproducao Humana (CEPARH), Bahia, Brazil.
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Huber JC, Bentz EK, Ott J, Tempfer CB. Non-contraceptive benefits of oral contraceptives. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2008; 9:2317-25. [PMID: 18710356 DOI: 10.1517/14656566.9.13.2317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing awareness of the opportunity that many contraceptive interventions may provide for additional health benefits. However, treatment of medical problems with oral contraceptives (OCs) is often an 'off-label' practice. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review is to summarize available data on non-contraceptive benefits of OCs. METHODS Review of the literature. RESULTS OCs have been shown to reduce the risk of ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancer. It has been suggested that OCs may be used in treatment of endometriosis, menorrhagia, and uterine leiomyomas. Pelvic inflammatory disease, dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and acne have been shown to improve under OCs. CONCLUSION OCs are important for global and female health. Besides contraception, non-contraceptive effects of OCs are evidence based, well established, and commonly used in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes C Huber
- University of Vienna School of Medicine, Department of Gynaecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
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Aghajanova L, Hamilton A, Kwintkiewicz J, Vo KC, Giudice LC. Steroidogenic enzyme and key decidualization marker dysregulation in endometrial stromal cells from women with versus without endometriosis. Biol Reprod 2008; 80:105-14. [PMID: 18815356 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.070300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of mechanisms underlying endometriosis pathogenesis will facilitate understanding and treatment of infertility and pain associated with this disorder. Herein, we investigated the expression of steroidogenic pathway enzymes and key decidualization biomarkers in endometrial tissue and in eutopic endometrial stromal fibroblasts (hESFs) from women with vs. those without endometriosis, and subsequently treated in vitro with 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP) or progesterone (P4). Real-time quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and radiometric aromatase activity assay were used. The results demonstrate significantly increased (14.5-fold; P=0.037) expression of aromatase in eutopic endometrium of women with disease. In 8-Br-cAMP-treated hESF from eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis, the balance in estradiol (E2) and P4 biosynthetic and metabolizing enzymes is disturbed (decreased HSD3B1 and HSD17B2, and increased HSD17B1 and aromatase), with the equilibrium being shifted towards an E2-enriched milieu. However, hESF from the same group of women treated with P4 did not demonstrate such responsiveness. Lower expression of IGFBP1 and prolactin mRNA and protein was observed in hESF from women with vs. those without endometriosis in response to 8-Br-cAMP, but not P4, suggesting a blunted response of these decidual biomarkers to activation of the PKA pathway in eutopic endometrium in women with disease. The dichotomy of 8-Br-cAMP regulation of select steroidogenic enzymes leading to an enriched E2 milieu within the endometrium and a blunted response of decidual biomarkers to this decidualizing agent of hESF from women with endometriosis suggests resistance to full decidualization of the stromal fibroblasts and mechanisms underlying implantation failure and the pathophysiology of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Aghajanova
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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