Vascular endothelial growth factor A and C gene expression in endometriosis.
Angiogenesis is essential for the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Gene expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A and C in 10 eutopic endometrial, 23 normal peritoneal, and 62 endometriotic tissues surgically obtained from 47 women with endometriosis (group 2) were compared with those in 12 control eutopic endometrial and 9 normal peritoneal tissues from 15 women without endometriosis (group 1). VEGF-A mRNA expression levels in eutopic endometrium of group 2 were higher than those of group 1 throughout the menstrual cycle (P <0.01) and increased in the secretory phase. VEGF-A gene expression in peritoneal endometriotic lesion was statistically higher than that in normal peritoneum (P <0.01) and similar to that in eutopic endometrium of group 2. In contrast, gene expression levels of VEGF-C were relatively lower than those of VEGF-A in each lesion, and no cyclic variation was found. VEGF-A and C mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in ovarian endometriomas >6 cm in size than in those <6 cm in size. Immunohistochemical expression of VEGF-A and C was detected in the cytoplasm of glandular epithelial and stromal cells of ovarian endometrioma. These results suggest that endometriosis may arise from eutopic endometrium with higher levels of angiogenic activity possibly induced by VEGF-A in women with endometriosis. Moreover, VEGF-C as well as VEGF-A may be involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometrioma.
Takehara
Mikio
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka Medical College, Japan.
Ueda
Masatsugu
M
Yamashita
Yoshiki
Y
Terai
Yoshito
Y
Hung
Yao-Ching
YC
Ueki
Minoru
M
D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C