VEGF may contribute to macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization in the decidua.

It is increasingly evident that cytokines and growth factors produced in the decidua play a pivotal role in the regulation of the local immune microenvironment and the establishment of pregnancy. One of the major growth factors produced in the decidua is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which acts not only on endothelial cells, but also on multiple other cell types, including macrophages. We sought to determine whether decidua-derived VEGF affects macrophage recruitment and polarization using human endometrial/decidual tissue samples, primary human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), and the human monocyte cell line THP1. In situ hybridization was used for assessment of local VEGF expression and immunohistochemistry was used for identification and localization of CD68-positive endometrial macrophages. Macrophage migration in culture was assessed using a transwell migration assay, and the various M1/M2 phenotypic markers and VEGF expression were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). We found dramatic increases in both VEGF levels and macrophage numbers in the decidua during early pregnancy compared to the secretory phase endometrium (non-pregnant), with a significant increase in M2 macrophage markers, suggesting that M2 is the predominant macrophage phenotype in the decidua. However, decidual samples from preeclamptic pregnancies showed a significant shift in macrophage phenotype markers, with upregulation of M1 and downregulation of M2 markers. In THP1 cultures, VEGF treatment significantly enhanced macrophage migration and induced M1 macrophages to shift to an M2 phenotype. Moreover, treatment with conditioned media from decidualized ESCs induced changes in macrophage migration and polarization similar to that of VEGF treatment. These effects were abrogated by the addition of a potent VEGF inhibitor. Together these results suggest that decidual VEGF plays a significant role in macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization, and that inhibition of VEGF signaling may contribute to the shift in macrophage polarity observed in different pregnancy disorders, including preeclampsia.

Transvaginal Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.

Transvaginal ultrasound is the first-line imaging test for the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Transvaginal ultrasound can be used to diagnose structural causes of abnormal bleeding such as polyps, adenomyosis, leiomyomas, hyperplasia, and malignancy, and can also be beneficial in making the diagnosis of ovulatory dysfunction. Traditional 2-dimensional imaging is often enhanced by the addition of 3-dimension imaging with coronal reconstruction and saline infusion sonohysterography. In this article we discuss specific ultrasound findings and technical considerations useful in the diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding.

Novel fumarate hydratase mutation in a family with atypical uterine leiomyomas and hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel mutation in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene in a family with atypical uterine leiomyomas. DESIGN: Case report and review of the literature. SETTING: Academic community hospital. PATIENT(S): Three sisters who presented as nulligravidas aged 27-30 years with large atypical uterine leiomyomas. INTERVENTION(S): Abdominal myomectomy, robotic myomectomy, hysterectomy, gene sequencing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Identification of a family with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) syndrome and a novel mutation in the FH gene. RESULT(S): Two of the three sisters tested positive for a novel FH mutation p.Leu99Glufsx6. The eldest sister was clinically diagnosed with HLRCC. The patients' father also carries the same mutation in the FH gene. The patients and their father are now undergoing yearly screening for renal cancer. CONCLUSION(S): Patients with HLRCC are at risk for developing renal cancer as well as losing their fertility via early hysterectomy. Physicians must be aware of this condition and refer at-risk individuals for genetic testing.