Antioxidant supplementation reduces endometriosis-related pelvic pain in humans

    Authors

    N. Santanam; N. Kavtaradze; A. Murphy; C. Dominguez;S. Parthasarathy

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Transl. Res.

    Keywords

    FACTOR-KAPPA-B; NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA; ACUTE ABDOMINAL-PAIN; OXIDATIVE-STRESS; PERITONEAL-FLUID; VITAMIN-E; UNSTABLE ANGINA; STROMAL; CELLS; FREE-RADICALS; GROWTH-FACTOR; Medical Laboratory Technology; Medicine, General & Internal; Medicine, ; Research & Experimental

    Abstract

    We previously suggested that women with endometriosis have increased oxidative stress in the peritoneal cavity. To assess whether antioxidant supplementation would ameliorate endometriosis-associated symptoms, we performed a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins E and C) in women with pelvic pain and endometriosis. Fifty-nine women, ages 19 to 41 years, with pelvic pain and history of endometriosis or infertility were recruited for this study. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: vitamin E (1200 IU) and vitamin C (1000 mg) combination or placebo daily for 8 weeks before surgery. Pain scales were administered at baseline and biweekly. Inflammatory markers were measured in the peritoneal fluid obtained from both groups of patients at the end of therapy. Our results indicated that after treatment with antioxidants, chronic pain ("everyday pain") improved in 43% of patients in the antioxidant treatment group (P = 0.0055) compared with the placebo group. In the same group, dysmenorrhea ("pain associated with menstruation") and dyspareunia ("pain with sex") decreased in 37% and 24% patients, respectively. In the placebo group, dysmenorrhea-associated pain decreased in 4 patients and no change was seen in chronic pain or dyspareunia. There was a significant decrease in peritoneal fluid inflammatory markers, regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (P < = 0.002), interleukin-6 (P < = 0.056), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (P < = 0.016) after antioxidant therapy compared with patients not taking antioxidants. The results of this clinical trial show that administration of antioxidants reduces chronic pelvic pain in women with endometriosis and inflammatory markers in the peritoneal fluid. (Translational Research 2013;161:189-195)

    Journal Title

    Translational Research

    Volume

    161

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    189

    Last Page

    195

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000315425600008

    ISSN

    1931-5244

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