title: Is localized, provoked vulvodynia an inflammatory condition?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a pilot study to investigate the relationship between localized, provoked vulvodynia of the vestibule and inflammatory cytokine expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with a diagnosis of localized, provoked vulvodynia had tissue samples taken for vulvar expression of Interleukin 1alpha and 1beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha and compared to those of a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group did not show a significant increase in expression of inflammatory markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no evidence in this study that localized, provoked vulvodynia is an inflammatory condition, as previously thought. This may be helpful in explaining why some women are resistant to medical or antiinflammatory treatment and may allow treatment to be prescribed more effectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lois J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Eva
authors.forename: Kerstin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.forename: Allan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: MacLean
authors.forename: Wendy M N
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Anne Christine Wong Te
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crow
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Perrett
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D010146:Pain; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha