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CompletedNCT02558426ERCVDUpdated Sep 24, 2015

Estrogen Receptors and Chronic Venous Disease

An observational study in Estrogen Excess and Varicose Veins, sponsored by University of Catanzaro. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-09-24.

Sponsored by University of Catanzaro · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
40
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) is a very common problem affecting western adult population. To date the pathophysiology of CVD development encloses several theories such as the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) components alterations, the alteration of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and other related molecules, the endothelial dysfunction, and several genetic factors but none of these could properly explain its genesis. Estrogen Receptors may be involved in CDV pathogenesis. Endogenous estrogens are important regulators of vascular homeostasis and they act mainly via three different ERs which are expressed in the cardiovascular system: ERα, ERβ, and a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor termed GPER. of this study is to explore the expression of estrogen receptors in vessel wall of varicose veins through the entire clinical spectrum of CVD.

Read the detailed description

Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) is a very common problem affecting western adult population with a prevalence of \< 10%, among individuals younger than 30 years for both sex, and with a prevalence of 57% and 77%, in men and women aged ≥ 70 years respectively, and may be frequently associated with other clinical manifestations.

The spectrum of CVD ranges from varicose veins to leg edema, and serious dermal clinical manifestations consisting of hyperpigmentation, eczema, lipodermatosclerosis, and venous skin ulceration.

To date the pathophysiology of CVD development encloses several theories such as the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) components alterations, the alteration of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and other related molecules, the endothelial dysfunction, and several genetic factors but none of these could properly explain its genesis.

A recent study (Serra R et al) showed a higher prevalence of CVD among patients with Breast Cancer (BC) respect to general population, especially in those patients that were positive to estrogen receptor (ER) expression.

The presence of ERs was investigated in the walls of normal and varicose veins by Mashiah A. et al, previously, and they documented that increased concentrations of estrogen receptors were found in varicose vein segments respect to healthy controls and this was particularly evident in females.

Endogenous estrogens are important regulators of vascular homeostasis and they act mainly via three different ERs which are expressed in the cardiovascular system: ERα, ERβ, and a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor termed GPER.

Although ERs are also suspected to be involved in the underlying etiology, the exact molecular mechanism responsible for development of CVD as well as the relationship with the wide range of clinical manifestations of CVD remains to be elucidated and the aim of this study is to explore the expression of estrogen receptors in vessel wall of varicose veins collected from patients with varicose veins through the entire clinical spectrum of CVD.

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Conditions studied

  • Estrogen Excess
  • Varicose Veins

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Keywords

  • Chronic Venous Disease
  • Estrogen receptors
  • GPER
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In context

Varicose Veins

253 studies on the registry are indexed under Varicose Veins; 35 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 124 across 79 observational studies indexed under Varicose Veins.

Browse Varicose Veins studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Catanzaro is the lead sponsor of 43 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patients with Chronic Venous Disease and varicose veins eligible to receive open venous surgery procedure.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with Chronic Venous Disease and varicose veins eligible to receive open venous surgery procedure

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Concomitant Peripheral Artery Disease
  • Previous Venous Thromboembolism
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
40 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • CVD patients

    Patients with CVD at various stages (C2-C6 of CEAP classification of CVD) with varicose veins and eligible to receive Open Venous Surgery.

    Procedure: Venous Surgery

Interventions

  • ProcedureVenous Surgery

    Patients with Varicose Veins will undergo to venous surgery procedure. Samples obtained from patients undergoing surgical removal of varicose veins will be collected and immediately preserved at -80°. Briefly, the venous tissueswill be excised, homogenized with a motor-driven homogenizer and total RNA will be isolated using the Trizol reagent (Invitrogen, Milan, Italy), according to the manufacturer's instructions. The expression of ERα, ERβ and GPER will be quantified by real-time PCR using the Step OneTM sequence detection system (Applied Biosystems Inc., Milan, Italy), following the manufacturer's instructions

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. expression of ERα, ERβ and GPER

    The expression of ERα, ERβ and GPER will be quantified by real-time PCR using the Step OneTM sequence detection system (Applied Biosystems Inc., Milan, Italy), following the manufacturer's instructions

    Time frame: At month 9th

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

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References and documents

Publications

  • Serra R, Buffone G, de Franciscis A, Mastrangelo D, Molinari V, Montemurro R, de Franciscis S. A genetic study of chronic venous insufficiency. Ann Vasc Surg. 2012 Jul;26(5):636-42. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2011.11.036. PubMed 22664280 ↗
  • Serra R, Buffone G, Costanzo G, Montemurro R, Perri P, Damiano R, de Franciscis S. Varicocele in younger as risk factor for inguinal hernia and for chronic venous disease in older: preliminary results of a prospective cohort study. Ann Vasc Surg. 2013 Apr;27(3):329-31. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2012.03.016. Epub 2012 Sep 19. PubMed 22998788 ↗
  • Serra R, Buffone G, Costanzo G, Montemurro R, Scarcello E, Stillitano DM, Damiano R, de Franciscis S. Altered metalloproteinase-9 expression as least common denominator between varicocele, inguinal hernia, and chronic venous disorders. Ann Vasc Surg. 2014 Apr;28(3):705-9. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2013.07.026. Epub 2013 Oct 31. PubMed 24184457 ↗
  • Serra R, Gallelli L, Buffone G, Molinari V, Stillitano DM, Palmieri C, de Franciscis S. Doxycycline speeds up healing of chronic venous ulcers. Int Wound J. 2015 Apr;12(2):179-84. doi: 10.1111/iwj.12077. Epub 2013 Apr 5. PubMed 23557025 ↗
  • de Franciscis S, Serra R. Matrix metalloproteinases and endothelial dysfunction: The search for new prognostic markers and for new therapeutic targets for vascular wall imbalance. Thromb Res. 2015 Jul;136(1):5-6. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2015.04.022. Epub 2015 Apr 24. No abstract available. PubMed 25940670 ↗
  • Serra R, Buffone G, Falcone D, Molinari V, Scaramuzzino M, Gallelli L, de Franciscis S. Chronic venous leg ulcers are associated with high levels of metalloproteinases-9 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. Wound Repair Regen. 2013 May-Jun;21(3):395-401. doi: 10.1111/wrr.12035. Epub 2013 Mar 26. PubMed 23531093 ↗
  • Serra R, Buffone G, Miglietta AM, Abonante S, Giordano V, Renne M, Lugara M, de Franciscis S. Breast cancer and venous disease: a retrospective cohort study. Ann Vasc Surg. 2013 Aug;27(6):762-6. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2012.10.020. Epub 2013 Jul 1. PubMed 23809843 ↗
  • Mashiah A, Berman V, Thole HH, Rose SS, Pasik S, Schwarz H, Ben-Hur H. Estrogen and progesterone receptors in normal and varicose saphenous veins. Cardiovasc Surg. 1999 Apr;7(3):327-31. doi: 10.1016/s0967-2109(98)00132-x. PubMed 10386751 ↗
  • Meyer MR, Prossnitz ER, Barton M. The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER/GPR30 as a regulator of cardiovascular function. Vascul Pharmacol. 2011 Jul-Sep;55(1-3):17-25. doi: 10.1016/j.vph.2011.06.003. Epub 2011 Jul 5. PubMed 21742056 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 24, 2015, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02558426
Lead sponsor
University of Catanzaro
Responsible party
Prof. Raffaele Serra, MD, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Catanzaro) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 24, 2015
Start date
Jan 2015
Primary completion
Sep 2015
Completion
Sep 2015
Last update
Sep 24, 2015

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2015. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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