Hybrid cooperative complexes to decrease VAS score and enhance sexual function in women with vulvar lichen sclerosus

OBJECTIVE

Lichen sclerosus is a chronic, inflammatory, progressive skin disease predominantly affecting anogenital areas. Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is one of the most common conditions treated in vulvar clinics; most patients report distressing symptoms of itching, burning, stinging, and pain (particularly during or after sexual intercourse). A preliminary, prospective, single-center study was performed to investigate the efficacy of hyaluronan hybrid cooperative complex (HCC) comprising high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid to treat menopausal women with VLS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients (N = 30) received two HCC injections at 32 mg/ml (one month apart). At baseline and one and six months after treatment, patients completed validated psychometric questionnaires to assess their self-reported pain, itching, and dryness using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and sexual function by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).

RESULTS

After treatment with HCC, no side effects or complications were reported. VAS scores showed a trend towards reduced pain and itching intensity, and there was a statistically significant reduction in median VAS score for dryness at follow-up vs. baseline (p=0.038). For sexual function, there was a statistically significant improvement in lubrication (p=0.001) and orgasm (p=0.001) FSFI domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this preliminary study demonstrated the promising efficacy of HCC in menopausal women with VLS without side effects.

Platelet-rich plasma for genital lichen sclerosus: analysis and results of 94 patients. Are there gender-related differences in symptoms and therapeutic response to PRP?

BACKGROUND

Lichen sclerosus is a chronic relapsing inflammatory dermatosis with a predilection for anogenital skin in 85%-98% of cases and is more prevalent in women (3%) than in men (> 0.07%).

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in clinical presentation and therapeutic response to treatment with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), an emerging innovative strategy for LS.

METHODS

Forty-three male and 51 female patients affected by LS were evaluated. Each patient was subjected to PRP treatment (1 infiltration every 15 days, for 3 times).

RESULTS

The PRP procedure was well tolerated by all patients and an overall significant decrease in symptoms was reported 6 months after PRP infiltration. Reduction in pain and burning sensation was significant in both gender but more accentuated in women than in men, whereas reduction of itching was similar. On the contrary, dyspareunia evidenced sex-related difference since a significant diminution was observed only in male.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that PRP based therapy may exert a relevant role in LS patient management due to its effect on Quality of Life (QoL) and sexual function in both gender. In addition, the study underlined gender-related differences in severity of symptoms and disease age onset.

Role of fibroblast-derived growth factors in regulating hyperpigmentation of solar lentigo

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous pigmentation is regulated by a complex melanogenic network in which both keratinocytes and fibroblasts synthesize growth factors and cytokines. Solar lentigo (SL) is characterized by hyperpigmented lesions occurring on photodamaged skin areas. Despite the association of SL to ultraviolet (UV) exposure, the mechanisms underlying the development of these spots are not completely defined.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the involvement of the fibroblast-derived growth factors, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) in SL hyperpigmentation; to evaluate whether the photoageing process occurring in fibroblasts could be responsible for the altered expression of these cytokines; and to investigate a new possible role of KGF in regulating pigmentation through the specific induction of melanogenic cytokines by keratinocytes.

METHODS

We performed immunohistochemical analysis of HGF, KGF and SCF on SL biopsies. We analysed the mRNA expression of these cytokines using an in vitro model of photoageing induced on fibroblasts. Finally, we evaluated the effects of KGF on the expression of melanogenic cytokines at the mRNA and protein levels on keratinocytes.

RESULTS

We found positive staining for HGF, KGF and SCF in the upper dermis of SL lesions and a significant induction of the three cytokines in photoaged fibroblasts. We also demonstrated the contribution of KGF to pigmentation, showing its ability specifically to modulate the expression of SCF in keratinocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibroblasts may be persistently activated by UV exposure to release melanogenic growth factors; this inducible cytokine network acts both directly and indirectly through keratinocytes and may contribute to the hyperpigmentation of SL.

Association of p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and beta-catenin accumulation in mycosis fungoides

BACKGROUND

Aberrant activation of beta-catenin contributes to the onset of a variety of tumours. There are many tumours that display beta-catenin accumulation in the absence of mutations in its gene. Recently, abnormal accumulation of wild-type beta-catenin has been associated with mutational inactivation of the p53 tumour suppressor.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the potential role of p53 and its homologue p63 in beta-catenin deregulation and to correlate this with disease outcome.

METHODS

We analysed a panel of 24 samples of mycosis fungoides (MF), the most frequent manifestation of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), for beta-catenin, p53 and p63 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Based on the immunostaining results for beta-catenin protein, 11 positive cases were selected for laser microdissection, genomic DNA isolation and subsequent mutation analysis of beta-catenin exon 3 and p53 exons 4-8.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed overexpression of beta-catenin, p53 and p63 in 46%, 38% and 17% of cases, respectively. The number of p53-positive cases of MF was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the beta-catenin-positive group (73%). Sequence analysis demonstrated that wild-type beta-catenin accumulation in MF is not associated with mutational inactivation of the p53 gene and, more importantly, our data provide evidence that a common polymorphic form of p53 (Arg72Pro) is significantly associated with beta-catenin overexpression (P < 0.05). No significant differences in the three genotypes were observed between the CTCL cases and the control group, demonstrating that Arg72Pro polymorphism of the p53 gene is not associated with the risk of developing cutaneous lymphomas (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We found an association of beta-catenin and p53 overexpression without detection of structural alteration in the genes, suggesting that p53 mutation is not an important mechanism for beta-catenin activation in primary CTCL. Additionally, we speculate that the p53 codon 72 polymorphism may influence negative feedback control involving beta-catenin and p53.

Expression of hepatitis C virus cDNA in human hepatoma cell line mediated by a hybrid baculovirus-HCV vector

Although great progress has been made in the characterization of the biochemical and biological features of hepatitis C virus (HCV) gene expression, the elucidation of the HCV life cycle and the evaluation of novel antiviral strategies have been hindered by the lack of a suitable cell culture system. In this context, the development of an efficient HCV cDNA delivery method would contribute to the understanding of HCV replication. To assess the functionality of baculovirus mediated gene delivery for HCV expression, we have constructed recombinant baculoviruses encoding HCV cDNA under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter. Transduction of the human hepatoma cell line Huh-7 with Bac-HCV vectors was efficient and HCV cDNA expression was enhanced by treatment of the infected cells with dexamethasone. HCV structural and nonstructural polypeptides were processed correctly and were found to localize in the cytoplasm in a pattern characteristic of the endoplasmic reticulum. The expression of the HCV proteins was detected for 49 days after infection. Thus, these results indicate that the recombinant Bac-HCV vectors are a useful tool for the delivery of HCV cDNA and can facilitate the analysis of structural and functional properties of the HCV proteins. In addition, the Bac-HCV vectors can provide important information on the evaluation of novel anti-HCV antiviral strategies.

The activity of differentiation factors induces apoptosis in polyomavirus large T-expressing myoblasts

It is commonly accepted that pathways that regulate proliferation/differentiation processes, if altered in their normal interplay, can lead to the induction of programmed cell death. In a previous work we reported that Polyoma virus Large Tumor antigen (PyLT) interferes with in vitro terminal differentiation of skeletal myoblasts by binding and inactivating the retinoblastoma antioncogene product. This inhibition occurs after the activation of some early steps of the myogenic program. In the present work we report that myoblasts expressing wild-type PyLT, when subjected to differentiation stimuli, undergo cell death and that this cell death can be defined as apoptosis. Apoptosis in PyLT-expressing myoblasts starts after growth factors removal, is promoted by cell confluence, and is temporally correlated with the expression of early markers of myogenic differentiation. The block of the initial events of myogenesis by transforming growth factor beta or basic fibroblast growth factor prevents PyLT-induced apoptosis, while the acceleration of this process by the overexpression of the muscle-regulatory factor MyoD further increases cell death in this system. MyoD can induce PyLT-expressing myoblasts to accumulate RB, p21, and muscle- specific genes but is unable to induce G0(0) arrest. Several markers of different phases of the cell cycle, such as cyclin A, cdk-2, and cdc-2, fail to be down-regulated, indicating the occurrence of cell cycle progression. It has been frequently suggested that apoptosis can result from an unbalanced cell cycle progression in the presence of a contrasting signal, such as growth factor deprivation. Our data involve differentiation pathways, as a further contrasting signal, in the generation of this conflict during myoblast cell apoptosis.