Selective estrogen receptor modulator with estrogen does not affect the proliferation and apoptosis of uterine leiomyoma cells.

BACKGROUND: The administration of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in women with uterine leiomyomas is still debated. The purpose of this article is to study the proliferation and apoptosis of uterine leiomyoma cells under the impact of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) combined with estrogen. METHODS: Primary cultured uterine leiomyoma cells in the perimenopausal period were treated with estrogen (17-beta estradiol) + SERM (raloxifene) as the tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC) group, while both estrogen + medroxyprogesterone acetate (E+P) and estrogen (E) alone as were used as control groups. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins was assessed by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and western-blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The proliferation in the TSEC group was weaker than the control groups (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between the TSEC and blank control group on cell proliferation at 72 h (P=0.13). However, there was a significant difference between the other groups (P<0.001). PCNA expression of TSEC was lower than that of the E + P and E groups (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the expression of PCNA between the TSEC and blank control groups (P=0.63). Bcl-2 expression of TSEC was lower than that of the E + P and E groups (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the expression of Bcl-2 between the TSEC group and the blank control group (P=0.60). CONCLUSIONS: SERM combined with estrogen may have a better safety for perimenopausal women with uterine leiomyoma in MHT.

Perineal leiomyoma in a postmenopausal woman: A case report.

Leiomyomas in the female reproductive system are commonly located in the uterus and typically regress following the menopause. Vulval leiomyomas are rare, and to the best of our knowledge, perineal leiomyomas in postmenopausal women have not been previously reported in the literature. The present case describes a 60-year-old Chinese woman who experienced perineal tenderness and lumbosacral radiating pain. The patient, who went through the menopause 12 years previously, had presented with a painful perineal mass for 1 year, which was subsequently diagnosed as a postmenopausal perineal leiomyoma. The mass was locally resected, and histopathological examination of the lesion resulted in a diagnosis of benign epithelioid leiomyoma. Immunohistochemical staining identified that the leiomyoma was positive for estrogen receptor and negative for progesterone receptor expression. The patient was followed up for 1 year and did not experience any pain or recurrence. The symptoms of local and lumbosacral radiating pain are extremely rare and may be induced by peripheral nerve stimulation. The etiology of postmenopausal perineal leiomyoma may be associated with infection, dietary, stress and environmental factors, and the role of estrogen cannot be overemphasized in cases of postmenopausal leiomyoma.

[Establishment and application of nested real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a nested real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA in PBMC( peripheral blood monocyte) and MMNC (marrow monocyte). METHODS: Based on the structural differences between HBVcccDNA and HBV rcDNA, two pairs of specific primers spanned the gap of the positive and negative chains and a specific TaqMan probe situated downstream were designed. To remove rcDNA, cccDNA was processed by Mung Bean Nuclease,and then amplified by nested real-time quantitative PCR using a pair of outer primers and a pair of inner primers. According to the standard preparation, cccDNA levels of specimen were calculated. RESULTS: We have established a nested real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method for HBV cccDNA successfully, and the linear range is from 5.0 x 10(2) to 3. 9 x 10(7) copies per milliliter. Of the 25 PBMC samples and 7 MMNC samples of the chronic hepatitis B or liver cirrhosis patients, 3 MMNC samples and 9 PBMC samples were HBV cccDNA positive, while all of the 21 healthy donator blood PBMC samples were negative. CONCLUSIONS: The nested real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method may be applied to detect HBVcccDNA level in PBMC and MMNC. HBVcccDNA can be detected in PBMC and MMNC.

[The detection and clinical significance of hepatic fibrosis index].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between levels of serum HA, LN, IV-C, PC III of chronic hepatitis and indexes of hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: The levels of serum HA, LN, IV-C and PC III of chronic hepatitis of 124 cases and health 18 cases were measured by radio immunoassay, combined with clinical characteristics and 33 cases pathologic slice etc. The diagnostic of the indexes of serum was analyzed with statistics. RESULTS: HA and IV-C are parallel in chronic hepatitis periods. LN and PC III are concert in the same pathologic periods. In G4 period PC III is nearly closed with comparative group. The value of HA, LN, NV-C and PC III in the chronic hepatitis group was significantly higher than that in the normal comparative group. Conclusion The levels of serum HA LN IV-C and PC III are in concert with the degree of hepatic fibrosis, and these indexes are valuable for chronic hepatitis diagnoses combined with the clinic. LN and PC III are coincidence with hepatic fibrosis degree before G4 period.