title: Interleukin 1alpha and tissue-lytic matrix metalloproteinase-1 are elevated in ectopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play an essential role in tissue remodelling and menstruation and appear to be regulated by cytokines such as interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha). In order to investigate their role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, the aim of the present study was to compare the protein localization of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and of its main stimulatory cytokine IL-1alpha in eutopic and dystopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  MMP-1 and IL-1alpha protein localization was analysed retrospectively in paired paraffin-embedded tissue biopsies obtained simultaneously from the endometrial cavity and from endometrial lesions of 37 patients with peritoneal or ovarian endometriosis and in cycling endometria from 37 women without endometriosis. Protein localization was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry; antibody specificity was confirmed by western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-1 and IL-1alpha protein staining in women suffering from endometriosis was significantly more pronounced in endometriotic lesions than in eutopic endometrium. This held true for both epithelial MMP-1 and IL-1alpha staining (P < 0.006 and P < 0.001), and for stromal MMP-1 and IL-1alpha staining (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). Furthermore, stromal MMP-1 and IL-1alpha were significantly co-expressed in dystopic endometriotic tissue (P = 0.045). Endometrial MMP-1 and IL-1alpha protein expression pattern in eutopic endometrium from women suffering from endometriosis, however, did not differ significantly from the pattern seen in healthy women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased expression of both matrix-degrading MMP-1 and its major stimulatory cytokine IL-1alpha in endometriotic lesions and the selective co-expression in the stroma of endometriotic foci clearly suggests their involvement in the pathogenic mechanisms leading to local invasion and tissue destruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Special Gynecology, Vienna Medical University, 1090 Vienna, Austria. gernot_hudelist@yahoo.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hudelist
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lass
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keckstein
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wieser
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wenzl
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Czerwenka
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kubista
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Singer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1