Enhanced synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines by vulvar vestibular fibroblasts: implications for vulvar vestibulitis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of the study was to determine whether vestibular fibroblasts from vulvar vestibulitis (VVS) patients produce higher proinflammatory cytokine levels when provoked with Candida albicans (yeast) and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in vitro.

STUDY DESIGN:

Twenty anatomically defined fibroblast strains from patients and age-matched controls were stimulated with 5 regimens: no stimulus, alpha-MSH, heat-killed yeast, alpha-MSH plus yeast, and interleukin (IL)-1beta. Supernatant products included the following: granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-gamma, IL-10, IL-12, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were assayed.

RESULTS:

Coincubation with alpha-MSH plus yeast significantly increased IL-6 (3-fold) and IL-8 (greater than 40-fold) production in patients and controls. Vestibular fibroblast exceeded external vulvar fibroblast production of IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 following yeast alone and alpha-MSH plus yeast stimuli in patients and controls. Substratified by anatomic origin, vestibular fibroblasts from VVS patients produced the highest relative levels of IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 at baseline and following the yeast-alone regimen.

CONCLUSION:

Localized pain of VVS may results from regionally elevated cytokines produced by vulvar vestibule-specific fibroblasts.

• Authors: David C Foster, Katherine H Piekarz, Thomas I Murant, Randi LaPoint, Constantine G Haidaris, Richard P Phipps
• Journal: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology (Am J Obstet Gynecol) Vol. 196 Issue 4 Pg. 346.e1-8 (Apr 2007) ISSN: 1097-6868 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 17403416 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• Interleukin-1beta
• Interleukin-6
• Interleukin-8
• alpha-MSH

Topics

• Adult
• Biopsy, Needle
• Candida albicans
• Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal (metabolism)
• Case-Control Studies
• Cells, Cultured
• Cytokines (biosynthesis)
• Female
• Fibroblasts (metabolism)
• Humans
• Interleukin-1beta (biosynthesis)
• Interleukin-6 (biosynthesis)
• Interleukin-8 (biosynthesis)
• Middle Aged
• Probability
• Reference Values
• Sampling Studies
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Vulvitis (metabolism, pathology)
• alpha-MSH (pharmacology)