title: Immunohistochemical analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor cellular expression in ovarian endometriomata.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the cell populations of ovarian endometriomata cyst layers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients with ovarian endometriomata.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical excision of 32 ovarian cysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histologic and VEGF immunohistochemical analysis of cyst layers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Though the least represented cell types, macrophages exhibited the highest frequency of strong immunoreactivity, followed by capsular vessel endothelial and subepithelial stromal cells and by epithelial cells and capsular fibroblasts. Endothelia of the subepithelial stroma were the least immunoreactive cells. Diffuse VEGF expression in epithelial cells was associated with cyst diameters greater than 5.4 cm, and high VEGF expression in capsular fibroblasts was associated with bilateral cysts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Angiogenesis plays an active role in ovarian endometriosis, especially in the presence of large and bilateral cysts. Expression of VEGF in epithelial cells, capsular fibroblasts, and vessels was found to be related, suggesting that neoangiogenesis might especially affect the outer cyst wall, thus contributing to the fibrosing process of adhesion formation during cyst growth.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. g.goteri@ao-umbertoprimo.marche.it
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goteri
authors.forename: Guendalina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucarini
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filosa
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierantoni
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Montik
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: Guidalberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciavattini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A