title: Apoptosis in normal ovaries of women with and without endometriosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors predisposing to implants of endometriotic lesions in normal ovarian cortexes of women with and without endometriosis by assessing the expression of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors and follicular density. Ovarian biopsies were performed during laparoscopy in 18 patients with endometrioma and in 10 healthy women. Detection of apoptosis was performed with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assay. p53 and BCL2 proteins were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate BAX , BAK , BCL2 , BCL-XL , survivin and beta-actin ( ACTB ) expression. The p53 protein was positive in a significantly higher number of secondary follicles, whereas the B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) protein was positive in all follicles in unaffected tissue of endometriotic women, compared with the controls. Overexpression of the BCL2 and survivin genes and a decreased BAX and BAK gene expression were observed in the endometriotic group although only the difference in survivin expression was significant (P = 0.016). The BCL2 / BAX ratio showed an increased value in the ovarian cortex in controls compared with endometriosis patients. In conclusion, the reduction of apoptosis in unaffected tissue in women with endometriosis suggests that they may be predisposed to develop endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction and Gametes Cryopreservation, Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11-70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Depalo
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavallini
authors.forename: Filomenamila
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lorusso
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Totaro
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzullo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bettocchi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D000077022:Survivin; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C494772:BAK1 protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D000077022:Survivin; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein