title: The effect of oral contraceptives on aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of oral contraceptives containing gestodene on aromatase expression in the endometrium of patients diagnosed with endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometrial biopsies were taken at the time of laparoscopy in 40 patients with endometriosis, 16 of whom were using an oral contraceptive containing gestodene at the time of laparoscopy. The remaining 24 patients were receiving no form of treatment for endometriosis. Endometrial biopsies taken from 23 patients with normal echographic signs and no symptoms were used as controls. Aromatase expression was evaluated in endometrial samples using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the untreated, symptomatic endometriosis patients, aromatase expression was detected during the proliferative phase in 92% of cases, while in the symptom-free control patients aromatase was expressed in only 9% of cases. In patients with endometriosis who were using oral contraceptives, there were significantly fewer cases of positive endometria compared with the untreated patients with endometriosis (6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral contraceptives containing gestodene are effective in decreasing aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa e Assistência em Reprodução Humana (CEPARH), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. ceparh@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casoy
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Kleber
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Célia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Athayde
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001141:Aromatase / Q000032:analysis*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic; D009652:Norpregnenes; C033273:Gestodene; D001141:Aromatase