title: Aberrant immunoreactivity of deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferases in adenomyosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression and localization of deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferases (DNMTs) in women with and without adenomyosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ectopic and homologous eutopic endometrium from 50 women with adenomyosis and endometrium from 18 age- and menstrual phase-matched women without adenomyosis were used for immunohistochemical analysis. Tissue sections were immunostained with DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B. Microscopic evaluation to assess the presence and localization of DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B throughout the menstrual cycle in both eutopic endometrial and endometriotic tissues of women with adenomyosis was performed, and comparison with normal endometrium was made.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with normal endometrium, immunoreactivity to DNMT1 and DNMT3B was higher in ectopic endometrium, while DNMT3A staining levels were significantly reduced in both eutopic and ectopic endometrium. DNMT1 immunoreactivity in eutopic endometrium was positively associated with heavier menses. Increased DNMT3B immunoreactivity in ectopic, but not eutopic, endometrium was associated with the severity of dysmenorrhea.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The immunoreactivity to DNMTs in adenomyosis differs significantly from that in normal endometrium, suggesting that adenomyosis may be an epigenetic disease. The finding that DNMT3B correlates with the severity of dysmenorrhea suggests that DNMTs may be involved in adenomyosis-caused dysmenorrhea and its severity. Thus, therapeutics based on epigenetic rectification may hold promise in the management of adenomyosis.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xishi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sun-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D062788:Adenomyosis / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000032:analysis*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000201:enzymology; D057890:Epigenomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D000097584:DNA Methyltransferase 3B
chemical_list: D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D000097584:DNA Methyltransferase 3B; C000717967:DNMT3A protein, human; C000619380:DNMT1 protein, human