title: Differential expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 and PCNA in endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endometriosis is a common gynaecological disease with clinical symptoms such as chronic pain, infertility and intra-abdominal adhesions. Different theories on the pathogenesis of endometriosis and especially its aggressive subtype with infiltrative growth have been discussed. The objective of this study is to evaluate differences in proliferation and invasive properties of invasive colorectal endometriosis, superficial peritoneal endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma (G1 and G2).
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraffin embedded tissues of peritoneal endometriosis, endometriosis of the intestine and endometrial carcinoma from 97 patients were stained immunohistochemically to assess differences in expression patterns of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9) as markers of invasion and the marker of proliferation PCNA. MMP expression was evaluated using the Immuno Reactive Score (IRS) (combining positive cell ratio and staining intensity) and PCNA expression was assessed as the percentage of positively stained cells in representative areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-2, MMP-9 and PCNA showed differential expression patterns in the different tissues examined. MMP-2 and PCNA expression was stronger in invasive colorectal endometriosis than in superficial peritoneal endometriosis (p=0.0394). MMP-9, however, was more frequently expressed in peritoneal endometriosis (59.1%) than in colorectal endometriosis (44.4%). This result did not reach statistical significance. When colorectal endometriosis was compared to low grade endometrial carcinoma, proliferation detected by PCNA was significantly higher in endometriosis (p=0.0008). MMP-2 and MMP-9 showed higher expression in endometrial carcinoma than in endometriosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are obvious differences in expression patterns of MMP-2, MMP-9 and PCNA in different stages of endometriosis and in endometrial cancer. These markers can be helpful to evaluate aggressiveness and invasiveness of endometriosis in different localizations. The results obtained could be of relevance for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of endometriosis and the development of an individual therapy concept.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kiel University, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
authors: Marion T
authors: MT
authors: Weigel
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Krämer
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Schem
authors: Antonia
authors: A
authors: Wenners
authors: Ibrahim
authors: I
authors: Alkatout
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Jonat
authors: Nicolai
authors: N
authors: Maass
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Mundhenke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000032:analysis*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9