Probiotics has been shown to be effective in reducing vaginal colonization of pathogenic organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of probiotic strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 on genital high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) clearance and quality of cervical smear. This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Women with genital HR-HPV infection were randomized into study and control groups. A probiotic or placebo preparation was administered orally (one capsule daily) until negative HR-HPV testing. A cervical smear and HR-HPV tests were performed at the beginning of the study and every 3 months thereafter until a negative result was obtained. A total of 121 women with genital HR-HPV infection were enrolled (62 in the study group and 59 in the control group). There was no significant difference in HR-HPV clearance rate between the two groups (58.1% vs. 54.2%). The only factor predicting HR-HPV clearance was a lower initial viral load (HR 3.214; 95% CI: 1.398, 7.392; p = 0.006). Twenty-two women had a mildly abnormal initial cervical smear and nine had an unsatisfactory smear. At 6 months follow-up, both mildly abnormal cervical smear and unsatisfactory smear rates had decreased significantly in the study group compared to the control group (p = 0.017 and 0.027). The application of probiotic strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 did not influence genital HR-HPV clearance, but may have decreased the rates of mildly abnormal and unsatisfactory cervical smears. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01599416 , May, 2012. Retrospectively registered.

Probiotics, live microorganisms that confer health benefits to the host when administered in adequate amounts, have gained considerable attention for their potential role in maintaining women's health. This overview summarizes key clinical findings on the beneficial effects of probiotics in various aspects of women's health. Probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus species, contribute to vaginal health by promoting a balanced vaginal microbiome to prevent infections and maintain an acidic environment. In gynecologic conditions, probiotics show potential in preventing and managing bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and sexually transmitted infections. Probiotic supplementation has also been associated with improvements in metabolic parameters and menstrual irregularities in polycystic ovary syndrome patients. During pregnancy, probiotics may be helpful in reducing the risk of gestational diabetes, maternal group B streptococcal colonization, obstetric anemia, and postpartum mastitis. In recent years, the potential role of probiotics in the prevention and management of gynecologic cancer has gained attention. Further research is needed to better understand the specific mechanisms and determine the optimal Lactobacillus strains and dosages regimens for gynecologic cancer prevention and therapy. In conclusion, probiotics offer a non-invasive and cost-effective approach to support women's health and prevent obstetric and gynecologic complications.

To identify pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels as a risk factor for para-aortic lymph node (PALN) recurrence following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for cervical cancer.

Previous studies have suggested that cancer stem cells (CSCs) resisted radiotherapy and chemotherapy. P16^INK4A is a biomarker for cervical carcinogenesis and reduces proliferation of stem cells. We aimed to investigate the expression and clinical significance of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (P16^INK4A), sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2), and Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member A1 (ALDH1A1) in cervical cancer treated with radiotherapy and cervical cell line models. The expressions of P16^INK4A, SOX2, and ALDH1A1 were performed by immunohistochemical staining of tumor samples from 139 cervical cancer patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages Ib to IV. The staining showed high expression in 100, 107, and 13 patients with P16^INK4A (>80%), SOX2 (≥10%), and ALDH1A1 (50%), respectively. The high-P16^INK4A group had a higher five-year overall survival (OS) rate and disease-free survival (DFS) than the low-P16^INK4A group (OS: 62.0% and 35.2%, p = 0.016; DFS: 60.0% and 31.2%, p = 0.002). The low-P16^INK4A/high-SOX2 and low-P16^INK4A/high-ALDH1A1 groups had a worse five-year OS and DFS rate than the high-P16^INK4A/low-SOX2 and high-P16^INK4A/low-ALDH1A1 groups, respectively. Depletion of P16^INK4A promoted chemoresistance and radioresistance of cervical cancer cells increased the expression of SOX2 and ALDH1A1 and exhibited higher self-renewal ability. These results suggest that lower P16^INK4A expression associated with higher CSC markers predicts poor prognostic outcomes and is a promising target in patients with cervical cancer.

Preeclampsia is a major cause of mortality in pregnant women but the underlying mechanism remains unclear to date. In this study, we attempted to identify candidate proteins that might be associated with preeclampsia in pregnant women by means of proteomics tools. Differentially expressed proteins in serum samples obtained from pregnant women with severe preeclampsia (n = 8) and control participants (n = 8) were identified using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Additional serum samples from 50 normal and 41 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia were analyzed by immunoassay for validation. Ten protein spots were found to be upregulated significantly in women with severe preeclampsia. These protein spots had the peptide mass fingerprints matched to α1-antitrypsin, α1-microglobulin, clusterin, and haptoglobin. Immunoassays in an independent series of serum samples showed that serum α1-antitrypsin, α1-microglobulin, and clusterin levels of severe preeclampsia patients (n = 41) were significantly higher than those in the normal participants (n = 50; α1-antitrypsin 295.95 ± 50.94 mg/dL vs. 259.31 ± 33.90 mg/dL, p = 0.02; α1-microglobulin 0.029 ± 0.004 mg/mL vs. 0.020 ± 0.004 mg/mL, p < 0.0001; clusterin 77.6 ± 16.15 μg/dL vs. 67.6 ± 15.87 μg/dL, p < 0.05). Identification of these proteins by proteomics analysis enables further understanding of the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of these biomarkers in prediction of this disease.

BACKGROUND: Epithelial ovarian cancer is a highly lethal gynecological malignancy. Accurate and cost-effective predictive tools to estimate the prognosis of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer before treatment are currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: Th