Expression of oestrogen receptor-alpha and -beta in ovarian endometriomata.
The contribution of oestrogen receptor (ER) isoforms, ER-alpha and ER-beta, in oestrogen-dependent development and growth of ovarian endometriomata, is unknown. Therefore, we examined the expression of ER-alpha and ER-beta in ovarian endometriomata and normal uterine endometrium. ER-alpha and ER-beta were shown to be dominantly expressed in the nuclei of the epithelial lining cells of ovarian endometrioma and of the glandular cells of normal uterine endometrium. ER-beta was expressed at a much lower level than ER-alpha in the glandular cells of normal uterine endometrium, while ER-beta was expressed at a slightly lower level than ER-alpha in the epithelial lining cells of ovarian endometrioma. In normal uterine endometrium, ER-beta mRNA was expressed at a much lower level than ER-alpha mRNA, and the expression pattern of ER-beta mRNA during the menstrual cycle was similar to that of ER-alpha mRNA. On the other hand, ER-beta mRNA expression was significantly higher and over a much greater range in ovarian endometriomata (P < 0.05) than in normal uterine endometrium during the menstrual cycle, while ER-alpha mRNA expression was relatively lower and more random. Therefore, in ovarian endometriomata, oestrogen action via ER-alpha cascades seems to be partially damaged, as the expression of ER-alpha mRNA does not respond to endocrinological alterations during the menstrual cycle, while the relative over-expression of ER-beta might be related to a unique oestrogen-dependent growth and spreading of ovarian endometriomata.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-machi, Gifu City 500-8705, Japan.
J
J
Fujimoto
R
R
Hirose
H
H
Sakaguchi
T
T
Tamaya
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen