The ovarian germinal reserve and apoptosis-related proteins in the infant and adolescent human ovary.

BACKGROUND: Normal pubertal ovary displays all stages of follicular development and a biased BAX/BCL2 protein ratio in favor of pro-apoptotic BAX protein comparable to the adult ovary. However, adolescents suffering malignant extra-gonadal disease show a limited follicle development after cytotoxic drug treatment and a reduced capacity of in vitro follicle growth. We evaluated the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the BCL2 gene family, the FAS/FAS-L proteins from the extrinsic apoptosis pathway, the germ-cell-specific marker VASA, the pluripotency marker OCT3/4, and markers of early and late apoptosis in the ovary of pubertal patients with malignant extra-gonadal disease, which received or not pre-surgery chemotherapy, entering a cryopreservation program. RESULTS: Ovarian biopsies from 12 adolescent girls were screened for follicle count and expression of VASA, OCT3/4, BAX, BCL2, MCL1L and S, cleaved-BID, FAS/FAS-L and CASPASE 3 through immunohistochemistry, western blot and RT-PCR. All stages of folliculogenesis, from primordial to antral follicle, were present in all 12 patients analyzed. VASA and most of the screened apoptosis-related genes showed a pattern of immune-expression comparable to that previously reported. OCT3/4 showed a cytoplasmic localization in the great majority of the primordial follicles; however, in some cases the localization was nuclear. In addition, OCT3/4B showed a significant reduction compared to OCT3/4A. Unexpectedly, BCL2 was detected at all stages of folliculogenesis, associated to the Balbiani's body in the primordial follicles, regardless of whether patients had or had not received chemotherapy, ruling out the possibility that its expression is a protective response to chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal new information on the morphological status of the follicular reserve and the expression of apoptosis-related genes in histologically normal adolescent ovary from patients undergoing extragonadal cancer. The unexpected expression of apoptosis-inhibiting BCL2 protein, both in patients that had or had not received chemotherapy, opens a new avenue for thorough investigations. Moreover, the nuclear localization of OCT3/4 protein in primordial follicle-enclosed oocytes suggests a possible increased activity of ovarian stem cells in response to chemotherapy and/or extragonadal cancer. This new information can be essential for a better managing of in vitro culture of follicles that can be removed by filtration from preserved ovarian tissue, especially in girls that entered a cryopreservation program.

Endometriosis en la etapa infanto-juvenil: presentación de nueve casos en un hospital pediátrico / Endometriosis in the infant-juvenile period: presentation of nine cases from a pediatric hospital

RESUMENEN. La bibliografía médica se registra un claro incrementoen los últimos años de casos de endometriosisen la etapa infanto-juvenil, algunos, en niñaspremenárquicas. Se presentan 9 pacientes con endometriosisestudiadas y tratadas en el HospitalNiños “Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez” en el período 2000-2004. En la mayoría de los casos, el motivoconsulta fue dismenorrea. Las pacientes se evaluaroncon examen físico, ecografía pelviana y examenlaparoscópico para confirmar el diagnóstico y efectuarel tratamiento. Se destaca la necesidad de realizarestos estudios en pacientes con dismenorrearesistente a los tratamientos comunes, para contribuiral diagnóstico y tratamiento precoz de la afección,de modo de preservar la fertilidad futura.Palabras clave: endometriosis infanto-juvenil, dismenorrea,laparoscopia.

Estruma ovárico benigno: diagnóstico y tratamiento en la adolescencia / Benign struma ovari: diagnosis and treatment in adolescence

Los teratomas de ovario son los blastomas ováricos más frecuentes en la etapa infanto-juvenil en la mujer: derivados de las células germinales totipotenciales pueden contener tejidos del ectodermo,mesodermo y endodermo. El estruma ovárico es un teratoma con predominio de tejido tiroideo. Son excepcionales en la etapa infanto-juvenil. Existen estrumas benignos y malignos y se presentan con una frecuencia de 2 por ciento y 0,3 por ciento respectivamente dentro de la frecuencia total de los teratomas. Asintomáticos en su mayoría, pueden manifestarse como tumor abdominopélvico y producir ascitis e hidrotórax.Se presenta un caso de estruma ovárico benigno en una adolescente de 15 años, que consultó por tumor abdominal de crecimiento lento, lo que motivó rechazo social en su medio escolar por presunción de embarazo.