title: Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and thrombospondin-1 mRNA in patients with endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) mRNA in endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Molecular studies in human tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing laparoscopy for infertility or other benign gynecologic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsies were taken from endometriotic lesions (red peritoneal lesion, ovarian endometrioma, and unterosacral ligament nudule) and eutopic endometrium during laparoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  mRNA expression from endometriotic lesion and eutopic endometrium was analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Northern blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the endometriotic lesions, red peritoneal lesions expressed higher levels of VEGF mRNA and lower levels of TSP-1 mRNA, whereas ovarian endometrioma expressed lower levels of VEGF mRNA and higher levels of TSP-1 mRNA. Eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis had higher expression levels of VEGF mRNA and lower expression levels of TSP-1 mRNA than that of women without endometriosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of VEGF and TSP-1 in endometriotic lesions appears to be associated with the extent of their neovascularization. The imbalance in expression of VEGF and TSP-1 in the endometrium may play a role in the development of endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China. tanxj@csc.pumch.ac.cn
authors.forename: Xian-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jing-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Dong-Yuan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Keng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jin-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019700:Thrombospondin 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019700:Thrombospondin 1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors