Yaseen Awad-Igbaria, Elvira Ianshin, Jacob Bornstein 1 2, Eilam Palzur: Inflammation-induced mast cell-derived nerve growth factor: a key player in chronic vulvar pain? (Brain . )

Provoked vulvodynia (PV) is characterized by localized chronic vulvar pain. It is associated with a history of recurrent inflammation, mast cell (MC) accumulation, and neuronal sprouting in the vulva. However, the mechanism of how vulvar-inflammation promotes neuronal sprouting and gene-expression adaptation in the spinal cord, leading to hypersensitivity and painful sensations, is unknown. Here, we found that vulvar tissue from women with PV (n=8) is characterized by MC accumulation and neuronal sprouting compared to women without PV (n=4). In addition, we observed these changes in an animal study of PV.