title: Expression of apoptosis-related proteins in peritoneal, ovarian and colorectal endometriosis.
abstract: Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus. Apoptosis, a physiological process by which multicellular organisms eliminate superfluous cells, is altered in tumor tissue. Here we studied the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins p53, bcl-2, bax, p21 and fas in proliferative (n=9) and secretory (n=9) endometrium, and in peritoneal (n=11), ovarian (n=20) and colorectal (n=20) endometriosis, by qualitative and semi-quantitative immunohistochemical methods using the percentage of positive cells and HSCORE analysis. In endometrium, p53, p21 and fas expression was low, whereas bax and bcl-2 expression was elevated. Using HSCORE analysis, only bcl-2 expression varied during the menstrual cycle (48.9+/-34.2% in the proliferative phase, 11.5+/-24.7% in the secretory phase, p=0.01). Using HSCORE analysis, p53 expression was higher in ovarian endometriosis than in peritoneal (p<0.0001) and colorectal endometriosis (p=0.03). P21 expression was higher in ovarian endometriosis than in peritoneal (p=0.01) and colorectal endometriosis (p=0.01). Bcl-2 expression was lower in ovarian endometriosis than in peritoneal (p=0.0002) and colorectal endometriosis (p<0.0001). Fas expression was higher in peritoneal endometriosis than in ovarian (p=0.02) and colorectal endometriosis (p=0.008). In conclusion, these results confirm the involvement of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Moreover, expression of apoptosis-related proteins varies according to the location of endometriosis suggesting the involvement of different apoptotic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Anatomie Pathologie, Hôpital Tenon, AP-HP, UFR Saint Antoine, Paris VI, France.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dufournet
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uzan
authors.forename: Raffaèle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fauvet
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortez
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Siffroi
authors.forename: Emile
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daraï
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010532:Peritoneal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor