<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> This study aimed to evaluate whether endometriosis could disturb the mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients and to provide a new prospective for further treatment of endometriosis. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A comprehensive literature review was conducted among 4 international databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) and 2 of the largest Chinese databases (the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wangfang). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included articles. Six effect sizes were synthesized through a meta-analysis, and a subgroup analysis was performed to identify potential moderating factors, including types of control groups, methods of assessment, number of study groups, and origin of the study. Potential publication bias was examined using a funnel plot. <b><i>Results:</i></b> This meta-analysis pooled 44 articles from 4 continents and 13 countries and compared 6 types of main effect sizes (the odds ratio [OR] for depression, the OR for anxiety, the standardized mean difference [SMD] for depression, the SMD for anxiety, the SMD for the physical component summary [PCS] and the SMD for the mental component summary [MCS]) between endometriosis patients and controls. Except for the SMD for depression, all other effect sizes revealed statistically significant differences between the study group and the controls. The main effect size outcomes of the subgroup analysis were also similar. The type of control group (<i>I</i>² = 35% in non-endometriosis control groups for the SMD of anxiety; <i>I</i>² = 47% in non-endometriosis control groups for the MCS of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey) and the continent of origin (<i>I</i>² = 0% in studies from South America for the OR of depression; <i>I</i>² = 47% in studies from Europe for the SMD of anxiety) may influence heterogeneity in this analysis. Additionally, depression and anxiety symptoms in patients seemed to be more apparent compared with healthy controls when the sample was smaller and when a questionnaire was used. The publication bias of the articles was acceptable. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Endometriosis can disturb mental health (specifically depression and anxiety) and decrease both the mental and physical HRQoL of patients. There may be some moderating factors that we were unable to identify in the subgroup analysis, but more research is necessary to develop proper management and improve the prognosis of endometriosis patients.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disabling disorder in women characterized by a loss of pelvic floor support, leading to the herniation of the uterus into or through the vagina. POP is a complex problem that likely involves multiple mechanisms with limited therapies available, and is associated with defects in connective tissue including elastic fibers. This study was designed to investigate the expression of fibulin-5 and lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) in the cardinal ligament in samples taken from the POP group compared to the non-POP group. Specimens were obtained during abdominal hysterectomy from the cardinal ligament of 53 women with POP and 25 age- and parity- matched women with non-POP among post-menopausal women with benign gynecologic pathology. Protein expression was evaluated using the immunohistochemical staining method. For statistical analyses, chi-square test and Spearman's correlation were used with the statistical package SPSS13.0 system. Our results showed that both fibulin-5 and LOXL1 expressions were decreased in the cardinal ligament in the POP group compared to the non-POP group (P < 0.05). The expression of fibulin-5 and LOXL1 were correlated closely with the stage of POP, accompanied by stress urinary incontinence and frequency of vaginal delivery (P < 0.05), but had no relationship with post-menopausal state (P > 0.05). The expression of fibulin-5 was positively associated with LOXL1 in POP (P < 0.05). We conclude that changes in fibulin-5 and LOXL1 expression may play a role in the development of POP.

Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) are rare and high-grade malignant tumors that mostly occur in children and young adults. The most common sites are the trunk, limbs, and retroperitoneum. Herein, we present a case of a PNET involving the cervix uteri in a 27-year-old woman. The lesion showed characteristic histologic features of a PNET and was positive for the immunohistochemical markers cluster of differentiation (CD) 99, vimentin, neuron-specific enolase, neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (CD56), and CD117 (c-kit), further defining the tumor while helping to confirm PNET. The clinical Stage IIIB tumor was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Background Given antisense long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) poly C binding protein-1 antisense RNA1 (PCBP1-AS1) was significantly co-expressed with tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 5 (TRAF5) mRNA in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). TRAF5 could mediate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation and regulate biological behaviors of tumor cells. Herein, we determined whether PCBP1-AS1 could affect the tumor behaviors of VSCC by regulating TRAF5 and NF-κB expression. Methods The expression of PCBP1-AS1 and TRAF5 mRNA in VSCC tissues and cells was detected via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while the protein expression levels of TRAF5, p65, p-p65, c-Rel, and IκBα were examined by immunoblotting. After the overexpression of PCBP1-AS1 and RNA interference knockdown of TRAF5 in SW954 cells, NF-κB activation-nuclear translocation fluorescence, the CCK-8 assay, Annexin V-FITC & PI fluorescent staining, the wound healing assay, and the Transwell invasion assay were performed to evaluate the activity of NF-κB, cellular proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Results PCBP1-AS1 and TRAF5 mRNA expression were downregulated in VSCC tissues and were correlated with patient clinicopathological characteristics. The protein expression of TRAF5, p65, p-p65, c-Rel, and IκBα protein in VSCC tissues was significantly decreased. We demonstrated that PCBP1-AS1 positively regulated the expression of TRAF5. PCBP1-AS1 overexpression or knockdown of TRAF5 regulated the activity of the NF-κB pathway. Increase of PCBP1-AS1 significantly inhibited proliferation and enhanced apoptosis via TRAF5-mediated regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Additionally, PCBP1-AS1 can suppress migration and invasion in an NF-κB-independent manner. Conclusions As a tumor suppressor gene, PCBP1-AS1 regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of VSCC via TRAF5-mediated expression of the NF-κB.

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