Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 6, No. 7, 610-617,
July 2000
© 2000 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Uterine physiology |
Reduced proliferation and cell adhesion in endometriosis
1 Institute of Anatomy and 2 Department of Gynaecology, University of Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
Abstract
Endometriosis is defined as endometriotic tissues growing outside the uterine cavity. The cell biological processes responsible for the pathogenesis of this disease are not well understood. In order to detect differences in proliferative activity between endometria and endometriotic lesions, Ki67 staining was analysed. In addition, expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor was examined using immunohistochemistry. For dedifferentiation processes pointing to invasive properties of the uterine epithelium, the presence of the adhesion complex E-cadherin with the associated 
- and ß-catenin was investigated. Specimens of endometrium in the proliferative phase of 36 patients without, and 79 patients with, endometriosis together with endometriotic lesions were studied. The study revealed a significantly reduced proliferation activity in uterine epithelium within the ectopic lesions but no differences between eutopic endometria of non-affected and affected patients. Furthermore, a lower expression of both EGF and its receptor in the epithelial cells of the ectopic glands was observed. The adhesion complex E-cadherin, together with -, and ß-catenin, was slightly reduced in uterine epithelial cells of women with endometriosis and less expressed in endometriotic lesions. The results indicate that epithelial cells of endometriotic lesions are not hyperproliferative, but do appear to dedifferentiate, displaying an invasive character.
cell adhesion/endometriosis/endometrium/epidermal growth factor/proliferation
Notes
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Institute of Anatomy, University of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. E-mail: simone.stratmann{at}mailcity.com
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  P. A.B. Klemmt, J. G. Carver, P. Koninckx, E. J. McVeigh, and H. J. Mardon Endometrial cells from women with endometriosis have increased adhesion and proliferative capacity in response to extracellular matrix components: towards a mechanistic model for endometriosis progression Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2007; 22(12): 3139 - 3147. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Shan, M. Xiao-Wei, W. Na, Z. Xiu-Feng, W. Deng-Gui, G. Wei, Z. Zheng-Mao, and L. Yan Association of three single nucleotide polymorphisms of the E-cadherin gene with endometriosis in a Chinese population Reproduction, August 1, 2007; 134(2): 373 - 378. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D. Wren, Y. Wu, and S.-W. Guo A system-wide analysis of differentially expressed genes in ectopic and eutopic endometrium Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2007; 22(8): 2093 - 2102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Wu, A. Starzinski-Powitz, and S.-W. Guo Trichostatin A, a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, Attenuates Invasiveness and Reactivates E-Cadherin Expression in Immortalized Endometriotic Cells Reproductive Sciences, May 1, 2007; 14(4): 374 - 382. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Yoshida, R. Broaddus, W. Cheng, S. Xie, and H. Naora Deregulation of the HOXA10 Homeobox Gene in Endometrial Carcinoma: Role in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Cancer Res., January 15, 2006; 66(2): 889 - 897. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Shan, Z. Lian-Fu, D. Hui, G. Wei, W. Na, J. Xia, and L. Yan Polymorphisms in the promoter regions of the matrix metalloproteinases-7, -9 and the risk of endometriosis and adenomyosis in China Mol. Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2006; 12(1): 35 - 39. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. A.A. Ewies, J. Thompson, and F. Al-Azzawi Changes in gonadal steroid receptors in the cardinal ligaments of prolapsed uteri: immunohistomorphometric data Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2004; 19(7): 1622 - 1628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Varma, T. Rollason, J. K Gupta, and E. R Maher Endometriosis and the neoplastic process Reproduction, March 1, 2004; 127(3): 293 - 304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. W. Nap, P. G. Groothuis, A. Y. Demir, J. W.M. Maas, G. A.J. Dunselman, A. F.P.M. de Goeij, and J. L.H. Evers Tissue integrity is essential for ectopic implantation of human endometrium in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2003; 18(1): 30 - 34. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Grummer, F. Schwarzer, K. Bainczyk, H. Hess-Stumpp, P.-A. Regidor, A. E. Schindler, and E. Winterhager Peritoneal endometriosis: validation of an in-vivo model Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2001; 16(8): 1736 - 1743. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|