Comorbidity of Urogynecological and Gastrointestinal Disorders in Female Patients With Lichen Sclerosus.

OBJECTIVE: Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with a significant impact on quality of life. The aim of this cross-sectional case-control study was to characterize concomitant urogynecological and gastrointestinal disorders in female patients with LS. METHODS: A medical records search between 2004 and 2012 yielded 455 women and girls (mean age 64 years) with LS. The study cohort was compared with a 10-fold age- and sex-matched control cohort. Gynecological cancers and their precursors; gynecological, urinary, and gastrointestinal disorders; and pain syndromes were evaluated. RESULTS: The well-known association between LS and increased risk of vulvar cancer and its precursors was also found in our study (relative risk [RR] = 100.0; p < .001 and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions RR = 110.0; p < .001, respectively), but we also found an increased risk for cervical cancer (RR = 6.0; p = .005) and endometrial cancer (RR = 2.9; p < .001). Gynecological pain syndromes such as dyspareunia (RR = 20.0; p < .001) and interstitial cystitis (RR = 5.0; p < .001) and urinary incontinence (RR = 4.8; p < .001) were also increased. Among gastrointestinal disorders, we found increased risk for celiac disease (RR = 6.8; p < .001), diverticular intestine diseases (RR = 1.9; p < .001), functional intestinal disorders (RR = 2.3; p = .003), and anal and rectal fissures (RR = 2.4; p = .046). CONCLUSIONS: We found that female patients with LS have an increased risk for gynecological cancers as well as for several urogynecological and gastrointestinal disorders. Increased awareness is required to identify and treat these concomitant disorders.

Decorin Expression in Human Vulva Carcinoma: Oncosuppressive Effect of Decorin cDNA Transduction on Carcinoma Cells.

The extracellular matrix proteoglycan decorin is well-known for its oncosuppressive activity. Here, decorin expression was examined in human vulva carcinoma tissue samples and in primary and commercial cell lines representing this malignant disease. Furthermore, the effect of adenovirus-mediated decorin cDNA (Ad-DCN) transduction on the viability, proliferation, and the expression and activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (ErbB/HER) family members of the cell lines were investigated. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for decorin, it was demonstrated that malignant cells in human vulva carcinoma tissues lack decorin expression. This result was true independently on tumor stage, grade or human papillomavirus status. RT-qPCR analyses showed that the human vulva carcinoma cell lines used in this study were also negative for decorin expression. Transduction of the cell lines with Ad-DCN caused a marked reduction in cell viability, while the proliferation of the cells was not affected. Experiments examining potential mechanisms behind the oncosuppressive effect of Ad-DCN transduction revealed that ErbB2/HER2 expression and activity in carcinoma cells were markedly downregulated. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that human vulva carcinoma cells lack decorin expression, and that Ad-DCN transduction of these cells induces oncosuppressive activity in part via downregulation of ErbB2/HER2.

Hysterectomy for gynaecological cancer: a follow-up study of subjective and objective outcome.

AIMS: To evaluate morbidity and subjective outcome associated with hysterectomy either with or without pelvic or pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy for gynaecological cancer. METHODS: Ninety-nine patients who underwent hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy (n = 38) or simple hysterectomy (n = 61) for ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancer in Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, were followed-up prospectively to determine the incidence of complications during a 1-year period after operation. Subjective outcomes were assessed using two questionnaires, 6 weeks and 1 year after operation. Hospital records of the patients were reviewed up to 6 years after operation. RESULTS: During their hospital stay 58% of patients in the hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy group and 56% in the simple hysterectomy group experienced some type of complication. Serious complications occurred in four patients (10.5%) in the former group and in two patients (3.3%) in the latter group. In the study population overall, the incidence of subjective complaints increased from 18% of respondents 6 weeks after operation to 55% 1 year after operation. Most patients (95 and 92%, respectively) remained satisfied with the operation at both times of evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the patients experienced morbidity related to surgical treatment for gynaecological cancer. The incidence of complications and subjective complaints were unaffected by the type of operation.