title: Endometrial ILKAP expression among patients with endometriosis and its association with clinical characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate expression of ILKAP among women with endometriosis and its association with clinical characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted at a center in China in 2012, using samples of ectopic (n=55) and eutopic (n=33) endometrium from women with endometriosis, and control endometrium samples (n=33) from women without endometriosis. Information on clinical characteristics was obtained from records. The expression of ILKAP was tested by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of ILKAP was higher in the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle than in the proliferative phase, and it was lower in eutopic and ectopic endometriosis tissue than in control endometrium (P<0.001 for both). A lower expression of ILKAP in ectopic endometrium was associated with moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea, infertility for more than 1year, a cancer antigen 125 level of more than 35 U/mL, a disease duration of at least 1year, and American Fertility Society grade IV disease (P<0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low level of ILKAP could facilitate the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Additionally, the level of ILKAP expression in ectopic endometrium might reflect the severity of endometriosis.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Gynecology, Yucheng People's Hospital, Dezhou, China.
authors: Guangying
authors: G
authors: Shao
authors: Department of Gynecology, Yucheng People's Hospital, Dezhou, China.
authors: Qiaomei
authors: Q
authors: Zheng
authors: Department of Gynecology, Yucheng People's Hospital, Dezhou, China.
authors: Xiaoxuan
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Gynecology, Yucheng People's Hospital, Dezhou, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Gynecology, Yucheng People's Hospital, Dezhou, China. Electronic address: peishuliu@126.com.
authors: Peishu
authors: P
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D004412:Dysmenorrhea; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007247:Infertility, Female; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C426826:ILKAP protein, human; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases
keywords: Apoptosis; Endometriosis; ILKAP; Infertility