Eutopic endometrial interleukin-18 system mRNA and protein expression at the level of endometrial-myometrial interface in adenomyosis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the eutopic endometrial interleukin-18 (IL-18) system including interleukin-18 (IL-18), IL-18 receptor (IL-18R), and IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), mRNA, and protein expression in patients with adenomyosis.


METHODS
A clinical and molecular study.


METHODS
Clinical and academic research setting in a university medical center.


METHODS
Twenty-eight samples of human eutopic endometria were obtained from surgical specimens of normal cycling women undergoing hysterectomy for uterine adenomyosis (n = 19); the control group (n = 9) was women undergoing hysterectomy for benign reason including uterine fibroids.


METHODS
Quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC PCR) and immunohistochemistry studies were performed.


METHODS
The differences of the IL-18 system mRNA and the ratio of IL-18BP to IL-18 in the eutopic endometrium of uterine adenomyosis and control group were analyzed.


RESULTS
IL-18 system mRNA and protein expression was demonstrated in the eutopic endometrium of both adenomyosis and control women. Quantitative competitive PCR demonstrated that endometrial IL-18R mRNA and the ratio of IL-18BP to IL-18 were significantly increased in adenomyosis patients in comparison to the control group. Pearson's correlation showed a significant correlation between IL-18 and IL-18R in the eutopic endometrium of women with uterine adenomyosis, but not the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of the eutopic endometrial IL-18 system and the ratio of antagonist to agonist at the level of the endometrial-myometrial interface (EMI) may possibly be responsible for the pathologic process of adenomyosis.
Huang
Hong-Yuan
HY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lin-Kou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China. hongyuan@cgmh.org.tw
Yu
Hsing-Tse
HT
Chan
She-Hung
SH
Lee
Chyi-Long
CL
Wang
Hsin-Shih
HS
Soong
Yung-Kuei
YK
D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053724:Receptors, Interleukin-18 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020382:Interleukin-18; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053724:Receptors, Interleukin-18; C118370:interleukin-18 binding protein