Serum leptin concentrations in endometriosis.

It has been recently reported that serum concentrations of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin are increased in patients affected by endometriosis. On the basis of these findings, the present study was undertaken to evaluate whether the protein may be used as a new serum marker of the disease. A consecutive series of 67 reproductive-age women who underwent laparoscopy for benign gynecological pathologies were enrolled prospectively for the study. Serum leptin concentrations, as evaluated by a conventional RIA kit, were related to baseline clinical characteristics and surgical and histologic diagnosis. Endometriosis was documented in 42 women (stage I-II in 19 patients and stage III-IV in 23 patients). Twenty-five women of similar age and body mass index, who had no laparoscopic evidence of the disease, served as control group. Serum levels of leptin resulted similar between women without and with endometriosis at any stage (mean +/- SEM, 12.5 +/- 9.4 ng/ml and 12.1 +/- 8.0 ng/ml, respectively). No significant association with leptin concentrations was observed in regard to stage of the disease, number of endometriotic implants, presence/absence of an endometriotic cyst or peritoneal deep endometriosis, and presence/absence of specific symptoms. Therefore, our results do not support the possibility to employ leptin measurement as a diagnostic tool for endometriosis. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between leptin and endometrial system and determine the potential contribution of the molecule in implantation and early pregnancy development.

Endometriosis: novel etiopathogenetic concepts and clinical perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss current ideas about therapy for endometriosis derived from new observations generated by using molecular biology techniques and in vivo animal models of disease. METHOD(S): The MEDLINE database was reviewed for English-language articles on new drugs that affect the endocrine or immunologic system, the possibility that endometriosis has multiple forms, and the association of endometriosis with cancer. Specific attention was given to in vivo studies in animals or humans. CONCLUSION(S): Among the novel potential candidate drugs, aromatase inhibitors and raloxifene should be considered for treatment of postmenopausal women with endometriosis. Notable observations have emerged from studies of immunomodulators and antiinflammatory agents in animal models of disease. These findings must be confirmed in women. The histogenesis of ovarian endometriomas is still unclear, thus limiting new experimental approaches to this form of disease. Given the low but established risk for malignant transformation of endometriosis, efforts should be directed toward identification of susceptibility loci for the disease and its potential transformation into cancer.

Early invasive diagnostic techniques in pregnant women who are infected with the HIV: a multicenter case series.

OBJECTIVE: Studies that mostly were conducted before the widespread use of combination antiretroviral treatments have reported that antenatal invasive procedures markedly increase the risk of human immunodeficiency virus vertical transmission. We aimed to evaluate the vertical transmission rate and other maternal and neonatal complications among women who were infected with human immunodeficiency virus who underwent antenatal invasive procedures during the second trimester of pregnancy and who were delivered after the advent of antiretroviral regimens. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a multicenter case series of women who were infected with human immunodeficiency virus who underwent amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling or cordocentesis during the second trimester of pregnancy and who were delivered after January 1, 1997. RESULTS: Sixty-three of 775 recruited women (8.1%) had performed early invasive diagnostic techniques . This rate has improved progressively from 4% in 1997 to 14%. Two of 60 viable infants (3.3%; 95% CI, 0.6%-10.1%) were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. This rate did not differ significantly from the transmission rate that was observed in women who did not undergo antenatal invasive techniques (1.7%; P = .30). CONCLUSION: The current risk of human immunodeficiency virus vertical transmission that is associated with early invasive diagnostic techniques is lower than previously reported.