title: Aromatase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in endometrial polyps during the menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in aromatase, Ki-67 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression during the menstrual cycle in both endometrial polyps and normal endometria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 118 premenopausal patients were submitted to immunohistochemistry for measurement of aromatase, COX-2 and Ki-67 expression. Fifty cases of endometrial polyps and 68 cases of disease-free endometrium were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of aromatase expression was significantly higher in endometrial polyps than in disease-free endometria. On the other hand, changes in COX-2 and Ki-67 expression followed a similar pattern during the menstrual cycle in both groups, expression peaking during the proliferative phase and falling during the late luteal phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significantly higher proportion of endometrial polyps express aromatase compared with disease-free endometrium; however, no correlation was found between aromatase expression and changes in either Ki-67 or COX-2 expression during the menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa e Assistência em Reprodução Humana , Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. ceparh@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Kleber
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Tânia M Correia
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Luíz A R
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zausner
authors.forename: Célia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Athayde
authors.forename: Elsimar M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D001141:Aromatase; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2