Study of Proliferative Activity of Vaginal Epithelium in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence Treated by Er:YAG Laser

The expression of Ki-67 proliferation marker was studied in vaginal biopsy specimens from women with stress urinary incontinence treated using a Fotona nonablative erbium laser. Cells expressing Ki-67 were located in all cases in the parabasal and basal levels of stratified squamous epithelium, the index of labeled nuclei before Er:YAG laser exposure was 19.05 +/- 2.86%. After 1-2 months of laser therapy, the index of labeled nuclei in the epithelium increased significantly and reached 31.79 +/- 2.25%. These changes were interpreted as a result of epithelial-stromal interactions. Presumably, the increase in proliferative activity of the vaginal epithelium after exposure to Er:YAG laser was due to the presence of an appreciable level of synthetically active fibroblasts in the subepithelial stroma.