Patients with endometriosis are characterized by the ability of the endometrium to implant and by the peritoneal response to the tissue; angiogenic factors may play a significant role in the aetiology of endometriosis supporting the implantation of ectopic endometrial cells. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a mitogen, morphogen and chemoactractant for endothelial cells and, in vivo, it is a powerful mediator for vessel permeability. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemoatractant for neutrophils and is a potent angiogenic factor. Women (n = 20) with ovarian endometriomata and 10 women with follicular cysts were enrolled in this study to investigate the role of VEGF and IL-8 in the development and maintenance of ovarian endometriomata. Cystic fluids were collected by laparoscopy, immediately centrifuged and stored until the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed. The VEGF and IL-8 concentrations were found to be significantly higher in the fluids of the ovarian endometriomata than in those of the follicular cysts of controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001 respectively); in addition, a significant inverse correlation between the VEGF cystic fluid concentrations and the diameter of the endometriotic adnexal masses was found (r = -0.56, P = 0.01). The evidence that the high concentrations of VEGF and IL-8 are present in the ovarian endometriomata indicates that angiogenesis could be a specific event both for the progression and maintenance of such cysts.

The present study revealed elevated levels of VEGF and bFGF in serum and follicular fluid in PCOS patients compared with controls. bFGF seems to be an FSH-dependent growth factor and its levels in follicular fluid are inversely correlated with the percentage of mature oocytes collected.

We aimed to examine the behaviour of the angiogenetic factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its soluble receptor (sVEGFR-1) in polycystic ovary patients undergoing In vitro fertilisation (IVF) compared with respect to normally ovulating controls. Levels of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 were compared in follicular fluid and serum, both on the day of human choriogonadotropin (hCG) administration and on the day of oocyte retrieval (OR), in controls and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients undergoing IVF cycles. The bioactivity of VEGF (VEGF/sVEGFR-1 ratio) in the two groups was calculated. Thirty PCOS patients and 20 controls referring to the IVF Centre of the University of Pisa (Italy) were enrolled. In each patient, blood samples were collected on the day of hCG and on the day of OR administration, and follicular fluid samples. VEGF and sVEGFR-1 were measured by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbant Assay (ELISA). Serum VEGF bioactivity markedly increased in both groups after hCG administration. Serum and follicular fluid VEGF bioactivity was greater in PCOS patients than in controls on the day of OR. The increase in VEGF bioactivity in PCOS patients undergoing IVF was not only because of increasing levels of VEGF but also to decreasing levels of its soluble receptor. We believe that additional studies will clarify their role in the pathogenesis of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which most often occurs in patients with PCOS.

Purpose of Review. The present article consists of a systematic review of recent (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018) empirical studies addressing the relationship between problematic gaming and dissociation. Nineteen peer-reviewed empirical studies that examined the relationship between problematic gaming and dissociation were identified.Recent Findings. The findings suggest that excessive video game use is linked to a variety of dissociative phenomena (e.g. depersonalisation experiences, escapism, psychotic-like experiences, game transfer phenomena).Summary. Dissociative experiences are associated with problematic gaming. The findings support the hypothesis that problematic video game use can represent a maladaptive coping strategy on which people can rely to escape from disturbing mental states, adverse emotions or real-life problems. In these circumstances, dissociative symptoms might represent the side effects of an alteration in consciousness that is generated by excessive video game use. However, further research (especially experimental and longitudinal) is required in order to establish a potential causal link between problematic gaming patterns and dissociation.

No abstract