New abdominal and vaginal hysterectomy techniques, such as classic intrafascial serrated edged macro-morcellator (SEMM) hysterectomy (CISH), by pelviscopy/laparoscopy or laparotomy, and intrafascial vaginal hysterectomy (IVH), are both essentially supravaginal techniques. It has been claimed that they give a prophylaxis against cervical stump carcinoma by coring out the cervix with the SEMM. We...

The mechanisms by which human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) crosses mucosal surfaces to establish infection are unknown. Acidic genital secretions of HIV-1-infected women contain HIV-1 likely coated by antibody. We found that the combination of acidic pH and Env-specific IgG, including that from cervicovaginal and seminal fluids of HIV-1-infected individuals, augmented transcytosis acro...

Objective: To compare the reliability of ligase chain reaction (LCR) to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting Chlamydia trachomatis endocervical infections. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 486 patients at risk for chlamydial infection of the endocervix. We obtained two endocervical specimens from each patient and used LCR and PCR to detect C. trachomatis. Discrepant results ...

Background: Pelvic Inflammatory disease (PID) is a serious syndrome of female reproductive system which results from the spread of infections from the vagina and endocervix to the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. It is more common in developing countries because of unhygienic conditions. Material & Methods: The present study was carried out among ever-married females in the reproductive age...

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is a potent inhibitor of human leukocyte elastase. SLPI transcripts in the cervical tissue were detected during the menstrual cycle by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blot analysis revealed that the intensity of SLPI protein in cervical tissue in the ovulatory phase was stronger than in other phases. Immunohistochem...

OBJECTIVE Studies on the development of the embryological and fetal development of the cervix and the vagina are rare and mostly go back to the first decades of the last century. The aims of this review were to present the latest knowledge concerning the developmental origin of cervical and vaginal epithelium and to point out new results in the context of different clinical findings. MATERIAL...

The KLK6 gene is a new member of the human kallikrein gene family and encodes for a secreted protease, human kallikrein 6 (hK6; also known as zyme/protease M/neurosin). No study has as yet reported detailed immunohistochemical localization of hK6 in human tissues. Our purpose was to examine the expression of hK6 in human tissues by immunohistochemistry. We have analyzed 199 paraffin blocks from...

BACKGROUND Pro-inflammatory chemokines that attract and cytokines that activate immune cells contribute to normal physiological homeostasis in the female reproductive tract, and are needed to deal effectively with potential pathogenic microbes. Mucosal epithelial cells are capable of producing these factors that communicate with cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. METHODS Epithel...

The female reproductive tract (FRT) includes the oviducts (fallopian tubes), uterus, cervix and vagina. A layer of columnar epithelium separates the endocervix and uterus from the outside environment, while the vagina is lined with stratified squamous epithelium. The mucosa of the FRT is exposed to antigens originating from microflora, and occasionally from infectious microorganisms. Whether ep...

A 13-year-old girl, otherwise healthy, presented with complaints of a painless vaginal mass associated with intermittent abnormal vaginal bleeding and discharge over a few weeks. External examination of genitalia was unremarkable and pubertal development was appropriate for her age. No obvious abnormality was detected on rectoabdominal examination. No transvaginal examination was attempted in v...