title: Progesterone reduces neurofilament (NF)--positive nerve fibers in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis and myomata.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether there are neurofilament (NF)-positive nerve fibers in the eutopic endometrium of patients with myoma and endometriosis by using stromal cell culture and to verify whether progesterone has an effect on the NF-positive nerve fiber by using stromal cell culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with uterine myoma (N = 11), ovarian and pelvic endometriosis (N = 10), and without myoma and endometriosis (N = 10) were included in the study. Human endometrial tissues were obtained from hysterectomy and curettage. The stromal cells were cultured and immunostaining was performed before and after treatment with progesterone by using NF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before progesterone treatment the percentage of NF-positive nerve fibers between the uterine myoma group (4.91 +/- 2.05) and the endometriosis group (2.22 +/- 0.92) was statistically significant, and there was a significantly different percentage of NF-positive nerve fibers between the uterine myoma group (4.91 +/- 2.05) and the levonorgestrel intrauterine device-inserted group (1.50 +/- 0.25). After progesterone treatment the percentage of NF-positive nerve fibers was significantly decreased in the uterine myoma (2.09 +/- 1.73) and the endometriosis (1.48 +/- 0.80) groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that the NF-positive nerve fibers were reduced after progesterone treatment by using stromal cell culture and suggest that progesterone could have a role in the decrease of endometriosis/myoma-associated pain.
authors.forename: Young Ah
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Doo Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kyoung Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Jae Whoan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone