Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Sep 15;10(9):1087.
doi: 10.3390/bioengineering10091087.

Efficacy of Fractional Laser on Steroid Receptors in GSM Patients

Stella Catunda Pinho  1 , Thais Heinke  1 , Paula Fernanda Santos Pallone Dutra  1 , Andreia Carmo  1 , Camilla Salmeron  1 , Luciana Karoleski  1 , Gustavo Focchi  1 , Neila Maria Góis Speck  1 , Beatrice Marina Pennati  2 , Ivaldo Silva  1   3
Affiliations

Efficacy of Fractional Laser on Steroid Receptors in GSM Patients

Stella Catunda Pinho et al. Bioengineering (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: To compare the efficacy of CO2 fractional laser with that of topical estriol for treating genitourinary syndrome of menopause and to investigate the relationship between epithelial thickness and vaginal atrophy.

Methods: Twenty-five menopausal women were randomized to receive either laser or estrogen treatment. Vaginal biopsies before and after treatment were compared to assess the amount and distribution of estrogen and progesterone receptors.

Results: Estrogen receptor levels were statistically similar between groups before and after treatment. Although there was no change over time in the estrogen group, an increase in receptor levels was confirmed in the laser group. Changes in estrogen receptor levels showed no association with treatment. Progesterone receptor levels were statistically similar between groups throughout treatment. There was no change over time in both groups. These changes displayed no association with the type of treatment. There was no significant correlation between epithelium thickness and estrogen or progesterone receptor levels.

Conclusions: Estrogen and progesterone receptor levels increased and were maintained, respectively, in the vaginal epithelium in both groups. There was no significant relationship between epithelium thickness and receptor density. Laser therapy had similar outcomes to the gold standard without involving the disadvantages of hormone therapy.

Keywords: estrogen; genitourinary syndrome of menopause; hormone therapy; laser therapy; menopause.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

B.M.P. is employed at El.En. Group. The other authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of estrogen receptor levels in the epithelium of patients according to time and group. Estrogen group: blue—negative; grey—positive middle third. Laser group: pink—positive lower third; yellow—upper third.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of progesterone receptor levels in the epithelium of patients according to time and group. Blue: negative; pink: positive lower third; gray: positive middle third.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Monterrosa-Castro A., Portela-Buevas K. Manejo de la atrofia vulvovaginal posmenopausica. Rev. Chil. Ginecol. Obstet. 2014;79:489–501. doi: 10.4067/S0717-75262014000600006. - DOI
    1. Monteleone P., Mascagni G., Giannini A., Genazzani A.R., Simoncini T. Symptoms of menopause—Global prevalence, physiology and implications. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2018;14:199–215. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2017.180. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gracia C.R., Freeman E.W. Onset of the menopause transition: The earliest signs and symptoms. Obstet. Gynecol. Clin. N. Am. 2018;45:585–597. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2018.07.002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cruz V.L., Steiner M.L., Pompei L.M., Strufaldi R., Fonseca F.L.A., Santiago L.H.S., Wajsfeld T., Fernandes C.E. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for evaluating the efficacy of fractional CO2 laser compared with topical estriol in the treatment of vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2018;25:21–28. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000955. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nappi R.E., Palacios S., Panay N., Particco M., Krychman M.L. Vulvar and vaginal atrophy in four European countries: Evidence from the European REVIVE Survey. Climacteric. 2016;19:188–197. doi: 10.3109/13697137.2015.1107039. - DOI - PMC - PubMed