title: Expression of motility-related molecule Cdc42 in endometrial tissue in women with adenomyosis and ovarian endometriomata.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate Cdc42 expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue in patients with adenomyosis and ovarian endometriotic cysts compared with patients without endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with adenomyosis, 19 with ovarian endometriomata, and 9 with fibroids or benign ovarian cysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunostaining for Cdc42 of eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In eutopic endometrium of patients with adenomyosis and with fibroids or benign ovarian cysts, the intensity of Cdc42 immunostaining was weaker, especially in the specialized stromal cells, compared with cases with ovarian endometriosis (chi(2) test, P=.003). Expression of Cdc42 in eutopic endometrium showed a trend to be higher in the secretory than in the proliferative phase and in patients with ovarian endometriotic cysts compared with patients with adenomyosis (unpaired t test, P=.005), especially in the proliferative phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An abnormally high expression of Cdc42 in eutopic endometrium in the secretory phase may contribute to the development of ovarian endometriosis, but it does not seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marches, Umberto I-Torrette Hospital, Ancona, Italy. g.goteri@univpm.it
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goteri
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciavattini
authors.forename: Guendalina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucarini
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Montik
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filosa
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stramazzotti
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: Andrea Luigi
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Tranquilli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014018:Tissue Distribution