Innervation of endometrium and myometrium in women with painful adenomyosis and uterine fibroids.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether nerve fibers can be detected in the endometrium and myometrium in women with painful uterine fibroids and adenomyosis.


METHODS
A retrospective immunohistochemical study.


METHODS
An academic training hospital.


METHODS
Thirty-seven women with uterine fibroids and 29 women with adenomyosis.


METHODS
Histologic sections of contiguous endometrial and myometrial tissues were stained immunohistochemically using the highly specific polyclonal rabbit antiprotein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5) and monoclonal mouse antineurofilament protein (NF).


METHODS
Results were determined through immunohistochemical staining using PGP9.5 and NF.


RESULTS
We detected PGP9.5-immunoactive nerve fibers in the functional layer of the endometrium in women with pain but not in women without pain. PGP9.5-immunoactive nerve fiber density in the basal layer of the endometrium or myometrium significantly increased in women with pain, however, PGP9.5-immunoactive nerve fiber density had no statistical differences between women with adenomyosis and uterine fibroids. We identified NF-immunoactive nerve fibers in the basal layer of the endometrium and myometrium in women with adenomyosis and uterine fibroids, but found no significant differences.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that PGP9.5-immunoactive nerve fibers appearing in the endometrium and myometrium of women with painful adenomyosis and uterine fibroids may play a role in pain generation in these two disorders.
Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zhangxinmei20071116@yahoo.cn
Xinmei
X
Zhang
Bangchun
B
Lu
Xiufeng
X
Huang
Hong
H
Xu
Caiyun
C
Zhou
Jun
J
Lin
D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009215:Myometrium / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; C482860:UCHL1 protein, human; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase