title: Oral contraceptives suppress cell proliferation and enhance apoptosis of eutopic endometrial tissue from patients with endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of administering combination oral contraceptives (COCs) to patients with endometriosis on the regulation of cell growth in the eutopic endometrium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research institute and clinical fertility center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen women with untreated endometriosis and 13 controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy specimens of the eutopic endometrium were obtained from all subjects. Apoptosis, cell proliferation, and Bcl-2 and Bax expression were examined at the epithelial and stromal levels in the eutopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis before and after 30 days of daily exposure to COCs and from controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apoptotic cells were detected by using the dUTP nick-end labeling assay; Ki-67, Bcl-2, and Bax expressions were assessed by using immunohistochemical techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After exposure to COCs, apoptosis was significantly increased in the eutopic endometrium compared with before COC administration, both at epithelial and stromal levels. Cell proliferation was significantly lowered by COCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COCs showed a positive effect on patients with endometriosis by down-regulating cell proliferation and enhancing apoptosis in the eutopic endometrium.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Buenos Aires, Argentina. meresman@dna.uba.ar
authors.forename: Gabriela F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Meresman
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Augé
authors.forename: Rosa I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Barañao
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tesone
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sueldo
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein