title: Does hormone therapy, tibolone or raloxifene modify VEGF expression in cervical epithelial cells?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seems to be a critical molecule in cervical carcinogenesis. We aimed to investigate the possible associations between hormonal factors and VEGF expression in cervical epithelial cells from postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 105 healthy postmenopausal women (aged 45-68 years old) attending a university menopause clinic were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Pap smears were derived from current users of 17β-estradiol 1 mg + norethisterone acetate 0.5 mg (n = 28), tibolone 2.5 mg (n = 23), raloxifene HCl 60 mg (n = 21) and women not receiving treatment (n = 33). VEGF immunostaining was evaluated in squamous, glandular and metaplastic cells, using a semiquantitative method (rating scale: 0-3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concerning endogenous hormones, higher Δ4-androstenedione levels were associated with more intense VEGF immunostaining in glandular (p = 0.041) and metaplastic cells (p = 0.004). Hormone therapy and raloxifene did not induce any changes in VEGF immunoreactivity in the examined cells. In contrast, tibolone administration was accompanied by diminished VEGF presence in metaplastic cells (p = 0.016 vs. controls).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings may in part reflect the molecular processes contributing to the safe profile of hormone therapy, tibolone and raloxifene in cervical carcinogenesis.
authors: Menopause Clinic, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, 33 Metonos Street, Holargos, Athens, Greece.
authors: V D
authors: VD
authors: Sioulas
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Politi
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Rizos
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Augoulea
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kyroudi
authors: T N
authors: TN
authors: Sergentanis
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Panoulis
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Aravantinos
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Creatsa
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Lambrinoudaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic / Q000494:pharmacology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D004967:Estrogens; D009652:Norpregnenes; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000735:Androstenedione; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D004958:Estradiol; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; C027385:tibolone; D009640:Norethindrone