Deregulation of tissue homeostasis in endometria from patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome with and without endometrial hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To study the proteins involved in endometrial homeostasis in PCOS women.


METHODS
Protein expression of Ki67, Bcl-2, Bax, Pro-Caspase-3 and Caspase-3 by immunohistochemistry and/or Western blot, and DNA fragmentation using in situ 3'-end labeling of apoptotic cells, was measured in 9 samples of normal endometrium (NE), 12 PCOS endometria without treatment (PCOSE), 7 endometria from PCOS women with endometrial hyperplasia (HPCOSE) and 9 endometria from patients with endometrial hyperplasia (HE).


RESULTS
Cell proliferation was higher in epithelium from PCOSE (P<0.05), HPCOSE and HE vs NE. A higher Bcl-2/Bax relative ratio in PCOSE and HPCOSE was observed, in absence of active Caspase-3 and scarce DNA fragmentation in the four groups of endometria studied.


CONCLUSIONS
As the apoptosis was scarce in all of the groups studied, endometrial homeostasis deregulation in PCOS could be a result of increased proliferation. Therefore, the onset of endometrial hyperplasia in PCOS endometrium could be linked to inadequate cell proliferation, and concomitantly to inadequate cell survival.
Villavicencio
A
A
Institute of Maternal and Child Research, School of Medicine, P.O. Box 226-3, and Pathology Department, San Borja-Arriarán Clinical Hospital, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Bacallao
K
K
Gabler
F
F
Fuentes
A
A
Albornoz
J
J
Casals
A
A
Vega
M
M
D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
C494826:BAX protein, human; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3