scholarly journals Molecular mechanisms of estrogen action in female genital tract development

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 34-40
Author(s):  
Myles H. Alderman ◽  
Hugh S. Taylor
2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 965-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Edwards ◽  
Michael A. Apicella

SUMMARY The molecular mechanisms used by the gonococcus to initiate infection exhibit gender specificity. The clinical presentations of disease are also strikingly different upon comparison of gonococcal urethritis to gonococcal cervicitis. An intimate association occurs between the gonococcus and the urethral epithelium and is mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor. Gonococcal interaction with the urethral epithelia cell triggers cytokine release, which promotes neutrophil influx and an inflammatory response. Similarly, gonococcal infection of the upper female genital tract also results in inflammation. Gonococci invade the nonciliated epithelia, and the ciliated cells are subjected to the cytotoxic effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha induced by gonococcal peptidoglycan and lipooligosaccharide. In contrast, gonococcal infection of the lower female genital tract is typically asymptomatic. This is in part the result of the ability of the gonococcus to subvert the alternative pathway of complement present in the lower female genital tract. Gonococcal engagement of complement receptor 3 on the cervical epithelia results in membrane ruffling and does not promote inflammation. A model of gonococcal pathogenesis is presented in the context of the male and female human urogenital tracts.


Author(s):  
Catarina Reis-de-Carvalho ◽  
Carolina Vaz-de-Macedo ◽  
Santiago Ortiz ◽  
Anabela Colaço ◽  
Carlos Calhaz-Jorge

Abstract Introduction Malignant mesonephric tumors are uncommon in the female genital tract, and they are usually located where embryonic remnants of Wolffian ducts are detected, such as the uterine cervix. The information about these tumors, their treatment protocol, and prognosis are scarce. Case report A 60-year-old woman with postmenopausal vaginal bleeding was initially diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma. After suspicion co-testing, the patient underwent a loop electrosurgical excision of the cervix and was eventually diagnosed with mesonephric adenocarcinoma. She was subjected to a radical hysterectomy, which revealed International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) IB1 stage, and adjuvant radiotherapy. The follow-up showed no evidence of recurrence after 60 months. Conclusion We present the case of a woman with cervical mesonephric adenocarcinoma. When compared with the literature, this case had the longest clinical follow-up without evidence of recurrence, which reinforces the concept that these tumors are associated with a favorable prognosis if managed according to the guidelines defined for the treatment of patients with cervical adenocarcinomas. Though a rare entity, it should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis for other cervical cancers.


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