title: Determination of cathepsins B, D and G concentration in eutopic proliferative endometrium of women with endometriosis by the surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the concentrations of cathepsins B, D and G in proliferative eutopic endometrium of patients with and without endometriosis, by use of the surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 55 patients were recruited in the study: 31 patients with endometriosis (stages I-IV) and 24 controls. Endometrial samples were obtained in the first phase of the menstrual cycle from regularly menstruating premenopausal women, prior to laparoscopy, by the use of aspiration biopsy. Endometriosis was appropriately classified according to the Revised American Fertility Society classification and confirmed by histopathology in every case. The SPRI technique was used to determine the concentration of cathepsins B, D and G. To compare the two groups for quantitative data, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon's test was used due to the non-normal distribution of the tested variables and normality of distribution was assessed using Shapiro-Wilk W test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of the three examined cathepsins was higher in the proliferative eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis, especially in advanced stages, e.g. III and IV, when compared to healthy individuals. Corresponding median values were, for cathepsin B: [7.93 pmol/mg (min-max 2.82-15.71) vs 1.2 pmol/mg (min-max 0.7-15.49) p=0.0014], for cathepsin D: [1.86 pmol/mg (min-max 0.51-5.4) vs 1.03 pmol/mg (min-max 0.4-2.72) p=0.00041] and for cathepsin G: [0.6 pmol/mg (min-max 0.33-2.51) vs 0.3 pmol/mg (min-max 0.16-1.29) p=0.00051].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased concentrations of cathepsins B, D and G in the proliferative eutopic endometrium may play a role in the implantation of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity.
authors: Department of Perinatology, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Marii Sklodowskiej-Curie 24a, Bialystok, Poland. plauda@umb.edu.pl
authors: Piotr
authors: P
authors: Laudanski
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Gorodkiewicz
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Ramotowska
authors: Radosław
authors: R
authors: Charkiewicz
authors: Mariusz
authors: M
authors: Kuzmicki
authors: Jacek
authors: J
authors: Szamatowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000378:metabolism*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000378:metabolism*; D056649:Cathepsin G / Q000378:metabolism*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance
chemical_list: C534094:CTSG protein, human; D056649:Cathepsin G; C533912:CTSB protein, human; D002401:Cathepsin B; C533922:CTSD protein, human; D002402:Cathepsin D