title: Aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of myomatous uteri: the influence of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect aromatase expression in the endometrium of myomatous uteri and to correlate it with the location of the myoma, phase of the menstrual cycle, the presence of menorrhagia and oral contraceptive use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aromatase p450 expression was measured using immunohistochemical methods in the endometrium of 116 patients. Sixty-one patients had menorrhagia associated with intramural/submucous myomas and nine had subserous myomas and no excessive bleeding. Forty-six patients had no uterine pathology and served as controls. Nineteen out of 61 patients with menorrhagia were oral contraceptive users at the time of the examination. Endometrial samples were obtained by hysteroscopy in all cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aromatase p450 expression was detected more frequently in the eutopic endometrium of patients with submucous or intramural myomas than in those in the subserous group, and was significantly greater during the proliferative phase than during the luteal phase or following the use of oral contraceptives. In normal uteri, aromatase expression was detected in the endometrium in less than 10% of users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aromatase expression in the endometrium was affected by the location of the myoma, the presence of symptoms, and the phase of the menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptives, on the other hand, inhibited aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of patients with submucous/intramural myomas.
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: Júlio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casoy
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Luis Antonio 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
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008183:Luteal Phase; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000209:etiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D001141:Aromatase