Splenic pregnancy treated with transcatheter embolization and methotrexate.

BACKGROUND: Primary splenic pregnancy is a rare entity, usually treated with splenectomy. CASE PRESENTATION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: We report the first case of conservative management of splenic pregnancy with selective embolization and intramuscular methotrexate administration. Postoperative treatment was uneventful. We have further systematically reviewed the literature upon the treatment options in case of splenic pregnancy. It has been evident that most cases were treated with spleenectomy, especially in case of active hemorrhage. Spleen preservation is rarely achieved, only in cases of hemodynamically stable, uncomplicated patients. CONCLUSION: Splenic selective embolization could be a treatment option in case of uncomplicated splenic pregnancy with the benefit of splenic preservation.

Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs) in Trophoblast Functions.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, PPARß/δ, and PPARγ) belong to the transcription factor family, and they are highly expressed in all types of trophoblast during pregnancy. The present review discusses currently published papers that are related to the regulation of PPARs via lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and amino acid metabolism to affect trophoblast physiological conditions, including differentiation, maturation, secretion, fusion, proliferation, migration, and invasion. Recent pieces of evidence have proven that the dysfunctions of PPARs in trophoblast lead to several related pregnancy diseases such as recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and gestational diabetes mellitus. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms of PPARs in the control of these processes have been discussed as well. Finally, this review's purposes are to provide more knowledge about the role of PPARs in normal and disturbed pregnancy with trophoblast, so as to find PPAR ligands as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment and prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Intrauterine CRH-treated PBMC in repeated implantation failure.

BACKGROUND: The intrauterine administration of activated autologous peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) prior to embryo transfer seems to improve reproductive outcomes in women with repeated implantation failure (RIF). We have previously shown that the intrauterine administration of PBMC treated with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) prior to blastocyst transfer (day 5) improves significantly the clinical pregnancy rate of women with RIF. In the present crossover pilot study, we have investigated whether CRH-PBMC treatment could be of benefit in case of fresh early cleavage stage embryo transfer (day 3) in women with RIF. METHODS: Twenty-six (n = 26) women with at least three previous failed IVF attempts and no history of clinical pregnancy in the past were recruited in this study. Ovarian stimulation was performed following either the long or the short protocol. PBMC were collected during the oocyte retrieval, were treated with CRH, and transferred in the uterine cavity 2 days later. Good quality cleavage stage embryos were transferred at day 3, following oocyte retrieval. RESULTS: Following the intrauterine administration of CRH-treated autologous PBMC, 15/26 clinical pregnancies occurred (57.69%). Compared to the null result of the same women prior to recruitment, this observation was considered significant (P < 10-2 ). CONCLUSION: Our findings further support the role of the intrauterine administration of CRH-treated PBMC as an effective approach when transferring cleavage stage embryos in women with RIF. Prospective randomized studies are needed to clarify whether such intervention could be of benefit in clinical practice.

Systematic and standardized hysteroscopic endometrial injury for treatment of recurrent implantation failure.

RESEARCH QUESTION: To investigate the effect of hysteroscopic endometrial injury for treatment of recurrent implantation failure (RIF). DESIGN: This prospective and randomized controlled trial included 239 patients who had failed to achieve a clinical pregnancy after the transfer of at least four good-quality embryos in a minimum of three fresh or frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles and were under the age of 40 years, who were randomized into two groups. The injury group (n = 124) received endometrial injury during their hysteroscopic procedure, whereas the control group (n = 115) did not. Patients who had endometrial pathologies were excluded from the study. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in duration of gonadotrophin use (8.23 versus 8.30 days), total dose of gonadotrophins (2330 versus 2338 IU), number of oocytes (7.03 versus 8.21), number of mature oocytes (5.27 versus 6.02), number of fertilized oocytes (4.19 versus 4.55), number of good-quality embryos (2.07 versus 2.43), number of embryos transferred (1.97 versus 1.93) or endometrial thickness (9.04 versus 9.35 mm) between the injury group and control group, respectively. Clinical pregnancy rates (25.8% versus 15.6%, P = 0.047), live birth rates (21.8% versus 12.2%, P = 0.049) and implantation rates (14.2% versus 8.8%, P = 0.036) were significantly different, favouring the injury group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that endometrial injury is beneficial in RIF patients to increase the odds of implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth.

The Effect of Metformin on the Endometrium of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of metformin on endometrial receptivity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: Twenty volunteer women with polycystic ovaries and oligomenorrhea were prospectively investigated. All women were treated with exogenous estradiol and progesterone to simulate a normal menstrual cycle (28-day duration) after GnRH-induced pituitary desensitization. Ten of the women received no other medication (group A, control), while the remaining 10 received metformin (group B, metformin). Endometrial biopsy was performed in all women on day 21 of the 2 simulated cycles. RESULTS: The expression of corticotropin - releasing hormone and urocortin in the endometrium was investigated. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups. A 3-day delay in the secretory maturation of the glandular epithelium relatively to the stroma was observed in 7 out of 10 women of group B (70%) as compared to only 1 out of 10 women of group A (10%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: It is shown for the first time that metformin administration to women with PCOS did not affect the expression of endometrial receptivity markers but delayed histological glandular maturation. It is suggested that metformin may have an impact on the function of the endometrium in PCOS.

ICSI does not offer any benefit over conventional IVF across different ovarian response categories in non-male factor infertility: a European multicenter analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether ICSI offers any benefit compared with IVF in different ovarian response categories in case of non-male factor infertility. METHODS: This is a retrospective multicenter analysis using individual patient data, conducted in 15 tertiary referral hospitals in Europe (1 center in Belgium and 14 in Spain). The study included the first cycle of all patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF or ICSI in a GnRH antagonist protocol. Only patients having either IVF or ICSI for non-male factor infertility were included. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on their ovarian response as follows: group A, poor responders (1-3 oocytes); group B, suboptimal responders (4-9 oocytes); group C, normal responders (10-15 oocytes); group D, high responders (> 15 oocytes). RESULTS: In total, 4891 patients were analyzed, of whom 4227 underwent ICSI and 664 IVF. There was no significant difference for the insemination method (ICSI vs. IVF) used among the different ovarian response categories: 87% vs. 13%, 87% vs. 13%, 86% vs. 14%, 84% vs. 16%, for groups A, B, C, and D, respectively, p value = 0.35. Mean fertilization rates and embryo utilization rates were comparable between IVF and ICSI in the whole cohort. Fresh and cumulative LBR did not differ significantly for IVF and ICSI in poor, suboptimal, normal, and high responders. CONCLUSION: There is no advantage of ICSI over IVF as insemination method for non-male factor infertility, irrespective of the ovarian response. The number of oocytes retrieved has no value for the selection of the insemination procedure in case of non-male infertility.

Correction to: ICSI does not offer any benefit over conventional IVF across different ovarian response categories in non-male factor infertility: a European multicenter analysis.

The original article unfortunately contained 2 mistakes.

The Role of HCG in Implantation: A Mini-Review of Molecular and Clinical Evidence.

Embryo implantation is a complex process involving continuous molecular cross-talk between the embryo and the decidua. One of the key molecules during this process is human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG effectively modulates several metabolic pathways within the decidua contributing to endometrial receptivity. Herein, a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms regulated by HCG is presented. Furthermore, we summarize the existing evidence regarding the clinical impact on reproductive outcomes after endometrial priming with HCG prior to embryo transfer. Although promising, further evidence is needed to clarify the protocol that would lead to beneficial outcomes.

Repeated implantation failure: a new potential treatment option.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that the intrauterine administration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) may improve pregnancy outcome of women with repeated implantation failure (RIF). We have demonstrated that, during implantation, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays a key role in facilitating endometrial decidualization and maternal-foetal immunotolerance. In the present preliminary study, we investigated whether the intrauterine administration of autologous CRH-treated PBMC can improve clinical pregnancy rates of women with RIF. METHODS: Forty-five (n = 45) women with at least three failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts and no previously reported clinical pregnancy were included in this crossover study. All women underwent controlled ovarian stimulation using the long GnRH agonist protocol. PBMC were isolated at day of oocyte retrieval, treated with CRH and administered in the uterine cavity at day 2, following oocyte retrieval. Blastocyst transfer was performed on day 5. RESULTS: Following the CRH-PBMC intrauterine administration, a significant increase was observed in the clinical pregnancy rate of this cohort of women with RIF (20/45 women had a clinical pregnancy; 44.44%, P < 10(-3)) compared to the previous null clinical pregnancy rate prior to the intervention. CONCLUSION: The current findings support a possible role for the intrauterine administration of autologous CRH-treated PBMC in treating women with RIF. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate the efficacy of this intervention.

The expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone family peptides in premalignant and malignant vulvar lesions.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family peptides with inflammatory processes and oncogenesis, emphasizing in vulvar inflammatory, premalignant and malignant lesions, as well as to investigate the possibility of lesion cells immunoescaping, utilizing FAS/FAS-L complex. METHODS: Immunohistochemical expression of CRH, urocortin (UCN), FasL and their receptors CRHR1, CRHR2 and Fas was studied in vulvar tissue sections obtained from patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of lichen, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). The patient cohort was selected from a tertiary teaching Hospital in Greece, between 2005 and 2015. For each of the disease categories, immunohistochemical staining was evaluated and the results were statistically compared. RESULTS: A progressive increase of the cytoplasmic immunohistochemical expression of CRH and UCN, from precancerous lesions to VSCC was observed. A similar increase was detected for Fas and FasL expression. Nuclear localization of UCN was demonstrated in both premalignant and VSCC lesions, with staining being significantly intensified in carcinomas, particularly in the less differentiated tumor areas or in the areas at invasive tumor front. CONCLUSIONS: Stress response system and CRH family peptides seem to have a role in inflammation maintenance and progression of vulvar premalignant lesions to malignancy. It seems that stress peptides may locally modulate the stroma through Fas/FasL upregulation, possibly contributing to vulvar cancer development.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is expressed in the human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) and upregulates the expression of Fas ligand.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone acts as a stressor mediator in the human reproductive system. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) has been detected in several carcinomas of gynecological origin like breast, ovarian, and endometrial carcinomas. It was additionally shown that CRH could induce Fas ligand (FasL) expression in ovarian carcinoma cell lines. To determine whether CRH could also be expressed during cervical cancer development, we studied the expression of CRH using HeLa cells in an in vitro cervical cancer model. We further studied whether CRH could regulate FasL expression. In that context, HeLa cells were cultured in the presence or absence of 1 µM CRH. CRH and FasL expressions were assessed by indirect immunofluorescence, reverse transcription PCR, and Western blot. The current results indicated that in HeLa cells, CRH can significantly induce both FasL transcription and FasL translation. Taking into account previous studies already establishing a connection between FasL expression and tumor immunoescape in cervical cancer, it can be concluded that such immunoescape could be CRH dependent.

High levels of p110δ PI3K expression in solid tumor cells suppress PTEN activity, generating cellular sensitivity to p110δ inhibitors through PTEN activation.

Class IA PI3K isoforms have divergent, nonredundant cell biological roles. In untransformed cells and tissues, p110α and p110ß are ubiquitously expressed, whereas p110δ expression is highly enriched in leukocytes. High levels of p110δ expression have been documented in some solid tumor cell lines, but the functional role is unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the link between elevated expression of p110δ PI3K and cancer. We report that in breast and prostate cancer cells that contain leukocyte levels of p110δ, p110δ activity dampens the activity of the PTEN tumor suppressor. Indeed, inactivation of p110δ in these cells led to PTEN activation, suppression of Akt phosphorylation, and inhibition of cell proliferation, with inhibition of PTEN activity being able to counterbalance p110δ inactivation. Likewise, forced overexpression of p110δ in cells with low p110δ expression reduced PTEN activity, resulting in increased Akt phosphorylation. Our data indicate that the oncogenic potential of p110δ PI3K overexpression might at least partially act through PTEN inactivation, and that p110δ-selective PI3K inhibitors can have a dual antitumor mechanism, namely by directly inhibiting p110δ signaling and by a broader inhibition of class I PI3K activity through PTEN activation. These data may have important implications in the intervention of breast cancer.

Functional CSF-1 receptors are located at the nuclear envelope and activated via the p110δ isoform of PI 3-kinase.

Colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and its receptor (CSF-1R) are key regulators of macrophage biology, and their elevated expression in cancer cells has been linked to poor prognosis. CSF-1Rs are thought to function at the plasma membrane. We show here that functional CSF-1Rs are present at the nuclear envelope of various cell types, including primary macrophages, human cancer cell lines, and primary human carcinomas. In response to CSF-1, added to intact cells or isolated nuclei, nucleus-associated CSF-1R became phosphorylated and triggered the phosphorylation of Akt and p27 inside the nucleus. Extracellularly added CSF-1 was also found to colocalize with nucleus-associated CSF-1Rs. All these activities were found to depend selectively on the activity of the p110δ isoform of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). This finding was related to the p110δ-dependent translocation of exogenous CSF-1 to the nucleus-associated CSF-1Rs, correlating with a prominent role of p110δ in activation of the Rab5 GTPase, a key regulator of the endocytic trafficking. siRNA-silencing of Rab5a phenocopied p110δ inactivation and nuclear CSF-1 signaling. Our work demonstrates for the first time the presence of functional nucleus-associated CSF-1Rs, which are activated by extracellular CSF-1 by a mechanism that involves p110δ and Rab5 activity. These findings may have important implications in cancer development.

Effects of phytoestrogen extracts isolated from pumpkin seeds on estradiol production and ER/PR expression in breast cancer and trophoblast tumor cells.

Phytoestrogens have a controversial effect on hormone-dependent tumours. Herein, we investigated the effect of the pumpkin seed extract (PSE) on estradiol production and estrogen receptor (ER)-α/ER-ß/progesterone receptor (PR) status on MCF7, Jeg3, and BeWo cells. The PSE was prepared and analyzed by mass spectrometry. MCF7, Jeg3, and BeWo cells were incubated with various concentrations of PSE. Untreated cells served as controls. Supernatants were tested for estradiol production with an ELISA method. Furthermore, the effect of the PSE on ER-α/ER-ß/PR expression was assessed by immunocytochemistry. The PSE was found to contain both lignans and flavones. Estradiol production was elevated in MCF7, BeWo, and Jeg3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In MCF7 cells, a significant ER-α downregulation and a significant PR upregulation were observed. The above results after properly designed animal studies could highlight a potential role of pumpkin seed's lignans in breast cancer prevention and/or treatment.

Analysis of Epithelial Growth Factor-Receptor (EGFR) Phosphorylation in Uterine Smooth Muscle Tumors: Correlation to Mucin-1 and Galectin-3 Expression.

Uterine fibroids are the commonest uterine benign tumors. A potential mechanism of malignant transformation from leiomyomas to leiomyosarcomas has been described. Tyrosine phosphorylation is a key mechanism that controls biological functions, such as proliferation and cell differentiation. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the phosphorylation of epithelial growth factor-receptor (EGFR) in normal myometrium, uterine myomas and uterine leiomyosarcomas. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from normal myometrium, leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas were studied. Samples were immunohistochemically (IHC) assessed using the anti-EGFR phosphorylation of Y845 (pEGFR-Y845) and anti-pEGFR-Y1173 phosphorylation-specific antibodies. IHC staining was evaluated using a semiquantitative score. The expression of pEGFR-Y845 was significantly upregulated in leiomyosarcomas (p < 0.001) compared to leiomyomas and normal myometrium. In contrast, pEGFR-Y1173 did not differ significantly between the three groups of the study. Correlation analysis revealed an overall positive correlation between pEGFR Y845 and mucin 1 (MUC1). Further subgroup analysis within the tumoral group (myomas and leiomyosarcomas) revealed an additional negative correlation between pEGFR Y845 and galectin-3 (gal-3) staining. On the contrary no significant correlation was noted within the non-tumoral group. An upregulated EGFR phosphorylation of Y845 in leiomyosarcomas compared to leiomyomas implicates EGFR activation at this special receptor site. Due to these pEGFR-Y845 variations, it can be postulated that MUC1 interacts with it, whereas gal-3 seems to be cleaved from Y845 phosphorylated EGFR. Further research on this field could focus on differences in EGFR pathways as a potentially advantageous diagnostic tool for investigation of benign and malignant signal transduction processes.

Biological therapies for premature ovarian insufficiency: what is the evidence?

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is a multi-factorial disorder that affects women of reproductive age. The condition is characterized by the loss of ovarian function before the age of 40 years and several factors have been identified to be implicated in its pathogenesis. Remarkably though, at least 50% of women have remaining follicles in their ovaries after the development of ovarian insufficiency. Population data show that approximately up to 3.7% of women worldwide suffer from POI and subsequent infertility. Currently, the treatment of POI-related infertility involves oocyte donation. However, many women with POI desire to conceive with their own ova. Therefore, experimental biological therapies, such as Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), Exosomes (exos) therapy, In vitro Activation (IVA), Stem Cell therapy, MicroRNAs and Mitochondrial Targeting Therapies are experimental treatment strategies that focus on activating oogenesis and folliculogenesis, by upregulating natural biochemical pathways (neo-folliculogenesis) and improving ovarian microenvironment. This mini-review aims at identifying the main advantages of these approaches and exploring whether they can underpin existing assisted reproductive technologies.

Oxidative stress stimulates α-tocopherol transfer protein in human trophoblast tumor cells BeWo.

α-Tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) has been identified as the major intracellular transport protein for the antioxidant vitamin E (α-tocopherol). Expression of α-TTP on the reproductive system has been described both in mouse uterus and lately in the human placenta. The aim of this study was to clarify if placental expression of α-TTP can be modified by substances causing oxidative reactions. The human choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo was, therefore, treated with two known pro-oxidants. α-TTP expression was determined with immunocytochemistry and evaluated by applying a semiquantitative score. The presence of pro-oxidants in BeWo cells induced α-TTP expression. We thus hypothesize that stimulation of α-TTP expression by oxidative stress, as this was induced by pro-oxidants, could be part of an antioxidant process occurring in the placenta in the aim of enhancing the supply of α-tocopherol. This process could occur both in normal pregnancies, as well as in pregnancy disorders presented with intensified oxidative stress. In that view, this model is proposed for further oxidative stress studies on trophoblast and placenta, on the grounds of clarifying the role of α-tocopherol in pregnancy physiology and pathophysiology.

Decidual macrophages are significantly increased in spontaneous miscarriages and over-express FasL: a potential role for macrophages in trophoblast apoptosis.

Decidual macrophages (DM) are the second most abundant population in the fetal-maternal interface. Their role has been so far identified as being local immuno-modulators favoring the maternal tolerance to the fetus. Herein we investigated tissue samples from 11 cases of spontaneous miscarriages and from 9 cases of elective terminations of pregnancy. Using immunohistochemistry and dual immunofluorescence we have demonstrated that in spontaneous miscarriages the DM are significantly increased. Additionally, we noted a significant up-regulation of macrophage FasL expression. Our results further support a dual role for DM during pregnancy and miscarriages. We hypothesize that the baseline DM population in normal pregnancy is in line with an M2 phenotype supporting the ongoing gestation. In contrast, during spontaneous miscarriages, the increased FasL-expressing population could be a part of an M1 phenotype participating in Fas/FasL-related apoptosis. Our results highlight a new aspect of macrophage biology in pregnancy physiology and pathophysiology. Further studies with larger samples are needed to verify the current results and evaluate their clinical impact.