title: Oral contraceptives prevent the development of endometriosis in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fundamental and genetic differences between women in the endometrium may cause some to develop endometriosis, whereas others do not. Oral contraceptives (OC) may have an effect on the endometrium, rendering the development of endometriosis less likely.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometrium from women using OC (OCE) and menstrual endometrium (ME) from normal cycling women were transplanted onto the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), and endometriosis-like lesion formation was evaluated. Microarray gene expression profiling was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in the endometrium from these groups. Microarray data were validated by real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Less endometriosis-like lesions were formed after transplantation of OCE than after transplantation of ME (p<.05). Most of the differentially expressed genes belong to the TGFbeta superfamily. Real-time PCR validation revealed that inhibin betaA (INHBA) expression was significantly decreased in OCE as compared to ME.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OC use affects the characteristics of endometrium, rendering it less potent to develop into endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Maaslandziekenhuis, P.O. Box 5500, 6130 MB Sittard, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemiek W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Nap
authors.forename: Patrick G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Groothuis
authors.forename: Chamindie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Punyadeera
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klein-Hitpass
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kamps
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delvoux
authors.forename: Gerard A J
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dunselman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002645:Chickens; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal