Effect of progestogens and combined oral contraceptives on nerve fibers in peritoneal endometriosis.

摘要

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how progestogens and combined oral contraceptives change nerve fiber density in peritoneal endometriotic lesions and to identify the types of nerve fibers still present during hormone treatment. DESIGN: Laboratory study using human tissue. SETTING: University-based laboratory. PATIENT(S): Hormonally treated and untreated women with endometriosis undergoing laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and curettage. INTERVENTION(S): Biopsy samples from peritoneal endometriotic lesions in hormonally treated and untreated women with endometriosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Types and density of nerve fibers were immunohistochemically determined in peritoneal endometriotic lesions from hormonally treated and untreated women with endometriosis. RESULT(S): The nerve fiber density (mean +/- standard deviation/mm(2)) in peritoneal endometriotic lesions from hormone-treated women with endometriosis (10.6 +/- 2.2/mm(2)) was statistically significantly lower than in peritoneal endometriotic lesions from untreated women with endometriosis (16.3 +/-10.0/mm(2)). Nerve growth factor and nerve growth factor receptor p75 expression in peritoneal endometriotic lesions were slightly reduced in hormone-treated women with endometriosis compared with untreated women with endometriosis. CONCLUSION(S): Progestogens and combined oral contraceptives reduced nerve fiber density and nerve growth factor and nerve growth factor receptor p75 expression in peritoneal endometriotic lesions.