Objective: The vulvar pain syndrome (VPS) is a multifactorial disease severely influencing the lifestyle of affected women. Among possible etiological factors, local injury, peripheral and/or central sensitization of the nervous system, and a chronic inflammatory status have been positively associated with the development of VPS. The identification of a constitutive altered local inflammatory profile in VPS women may represent an important point in the characterization of patients’ phenotype as a useful marker influencing the vulvar micro-environment. The aim of this study was to investigative the possible role of the local cytokines production in women with VPS in comparison to healthy women. Study design: In this study were collected vaginal swabs from 57 healthy women (HC) who never suffered from VPS and from 30 patients diagnosed with vulvodynia (VPS) by at least 3 years and currently symptomatic. All patients included in this study showed the absence of Sexually Transmitted (STD) diseases and Reproductive Tract Infection. Real-time PCR was performed to assess the genomic sequences of ST pathogens. The Luminex Bio-Plex platform was used for the analysis of a panel of 48 immune factors. Results: Eleven molecules, specifically involved in the pro-inflammatory pathway were significantly modulated in VPS patients in comparison to healthy women, suggesting a persistent inflammatory process. Conclusions: Therefore, these inflammatory factors could be possible biological markers involved in this disease. Nevertheless, other studies are needed to consider this specific immune profile as avalid marker of the vulvodynia.
Titolo: | Cytokine profiles of women with vulvodynia: Identification of a panel of pro-inflammatory molecular targets |
Autori: | |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2018 |
Stato di pubblicazione: | Pubblicato |
Rivista: | |
Abstract: | Objective: The vulvar pain syndrome (VPS) is a multifactorial disease severely influencing the lifestyle of affected women. Among possible etiological factors, local injury, peripheral and/or central sensitization of the nervous system, and a chronic inflammatory status have been positively associated with the development of VPS. The identification of a constitutive altered local inflammatory profile in VPS women may represent an important point in the characterization of patients’ phenotype as a useful marker influencing the vulvar micro-environment. The aim of this study was to investigative the possible role of the local cytokines production in women with VPS in comparison to healthy women. Study design: In this study were collected vaginal swabs from 57 healthy women (HC) who never suffered from VPS and from 30 patients diagnosed with vulvodynia (VPS) by at least 3 years and currently symptomatic. All patients included in this study showed the absence of Sexually Transmitted (STD) diseases and Reproductive Tract Infection. Real-time PCR was performed to assess the genomic sequences of ST pathogens. The Luminex Bio-Plex platform was used for the analysis of a panel of 48 immune factors. Results: Eleven molecules, specifically involved in the pro-inflammatory pathway were significantly modulated in VPS patients in comparison to healthy women, suggesting a persistent inflammatory process. Conclusions: Therefore, these inflammatory factors could be possible biological markers involved in this disease. Nevertheless, other studies are needed to consider this specific immune profile as avalid marker of the vulvodynia. |
Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/11368/2929211 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2018.05.035 |
URL: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301211518302598?via%3Dihub |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in Rivista |
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