title: Comparative immunohistochemical studies of endometriosis lesions and endometriotic cysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare immunohistochemical staining patterns in noncystic and cystic endometriosis lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental.
  
  
  METHODS
  Archived pathology material in an academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometriosis tissues from the pathology archives including slide tissue sections and blocks.
  
  
  METHODS
  None; this was a retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining of the tissues was performed using anti-bcl-2, anti-p53, anti-matrix metalloproteinase IX, and anti-collagen VI antibodies. Staining was qualitatively assessed in terms of extent and intensity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  p53 showed no staining in both groups. Anti-bcl-2 stained 100% (30/30) of endometriosis lesions compared with only 23% (7/30) of endometriotic cysts (P<.0001), and anti-matrix metalloproteinase IX stained 85% (23/27) of endometriosis lesions and only 39% (14/36) of endometriotic cysts (P=.0003). Anti-collagen VI, however, stained only 6% (2/35) of endometriosis lesions and 75% (21/28) of endometriotic cysts (P<.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with endometriosis lesions, endometriotic cysts display different expression of proteins with relative overexpression of collagen VI and underexpression of bcl-2 and metalloproteinase IX. This report is the first comparative immunohistochemical study showing these differences.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. farr.nezhat@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Farr R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Nezhat
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalir
mesh_terms: D024142:Collagen Type VI / Q000032:analysis; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000032:analysis; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D024142:Collagen Type VI; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9