title: c-kit/CD 117 positive cells in the myometrium of pregnant women and those with uterine endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abnormal myometrial motility may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Uterine contractility is a major contribution to labour. Myometrial motility might be controlled by CD 117-positive uterine smooth muscle cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Myometrial tissues from 8 cases with uterine endometriosis, 9 pregnant uteri (31.1 ± 8.7 weeks of gestation), 10 cases from non-pregnant pre-menopausal and 9 cases from post-menopausal women were immunohistochemically evaluated using a polyclonal antibody against c-kit/CD 117. The number of CD 117 positive cells was counted within 10 microscopic high power fields (× 400) and compared with the clinical diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, a mean number of 15.7 (range 0-43) CD 117-positive cells within the myometrium was seen. Significant highest count occurred in the myometrium of non-pregnant pre-menopausal women without uterine endometriosis (30.78 ± 9.52), followed by post-menopausal women (15.5 ± 8.37) and those with uterine endometriosis (9.98 ± 4.9; p ≤ 0.01). The lowest count of CD 117-positive cells was seen in pregnant uteri (4.09 ± 2.33; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lowest count of CD 117-positive cells was seen in the myometrium of pregnant women suggesting a role of preventing premature uterine contractility. There is no increase of CD 117-positive cells in the myometrium of women affected by uterine endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Leipzig, Germany. hornl@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: L-C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meinel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hentschel
mesh_terms: D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism; D009215:Myometrium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D017698:Postmenopause; D011247:Pregnancy; D017697:Premenopause; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit