title: Serum dioxin-like compounds and aromatase (CYP19) expression in endometriotic tissues.
abstract: Dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) are suspected etiological factors of endometriosis but their potential mechanisms of action remain elusive. Because endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease and since aromatase (CYP19), a key enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis, was recently demonstrated to be expressed in endometriotic lesions, we hypothesized that dioxin-like compounds could modulate local estrogen production through an up-regulation of aromatase. We tested this hypothesis by examining the correlation between serum DLC levels and CYP19 expression in endometriotic tissue obtained from 47 patients with peritoneal, ovarian endometriosis and/or deep endometriotic nodules of the rectovaginal septum. Aromatase expression was assessed by real-time RT-PCR in biopsied endometriotic tissues [peritoneal (n=19), ovarian (n=17) endometriosis and deep endometriotic nodules of the recto-vaginal septum (n=29)]. The relationship between aromatase expression and DLCs was traced by simple regression analysis. DLCs did not appear to be significant determinants of aromatase expression. CYP1A1 expression, measured as a positive control, was found associated with current smoking but not with DLCs. We conclude that DLCs do probably not facilitate the growth of endometriotic lesions by up-regulating the local expression of aromatase.
authors.affiliation: Université catholique de Louvain, Faculty of Medicine, Industrial Toxicology and Occupational Medicine Unit, 53.02 Avenue E. Mounier, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. Jean-Francois.Heilier@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Heilier
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donnez
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Defrere
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Van Kerckhove
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Donnez
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001141:Aromatase / Q000235:genetics*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000235:genetics; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004147:Dioxins; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D001141:Aromatase; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1