title: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor Expression in Endometriotic Lesions and the Associated Vasculature: An Immunohistochemical Study.
abstract: Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is present on endothelial cells of blood vessels and endometrial glands of the proliferative and secretory endometrium. So far, the expression of FSHR in endometriosis has not been studied. We evaluated FSHR expression in 194 tissue specimens representing 3 relevant types of endometriosis: rectovaginal endometriotic nodules, ovarian endometriotic cysts, and peritoneal endometriotic implants. Specimens of normal endometrium were used as controls. Archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded material was analyzed immunohistochemically with a highly specific monoclonal antihuman FSHR antibody using the peroxidase method. A robust vascular FSHR expression was found in all 194 patients, irrespective of the endometriosis lesion location. Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor was not detected in normal host tissues located more than 5 mm from the lesions. The endometriotic lymphatic vessels do not express FSHR. The density of FSHR-positive vessels in patients with rectovaginal endometriotic nodules was 46.0 ± 5.7 vessels/mm(2) Similar values were obtained for ovarian endometriotic cysts and peritoneal endometriosis. The density of FSHR-positive vessels associated with the core of rectovaginal endometriotic nodules was 2-fold higher than that of the perilesional, adjacent normal host tissue (64.2 ± 8.2 vs 27.2 ± 3.2 vessels/mm(2), respectively). Expression of FSHR was also detected either in endometriotic glandular epithelial cells, endometriotic stromal cells, or in both cell types (23%, 25%, and 21% of patients, respectively). Normal endometrium expressed FSHR predominately in basalis, in a cellular distribution dependent on hormonal environment. In conclusion, our data suggest novel FSHR expression in endometriotic lesions, qualitatively and quantitatively different from that of normal endometrium.
authors.affiliation: INSERM-Tumoral Angiogenesis, Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Blaise
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.affiliation: INSERM-Tumoral Angiogenesis, Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Planeix
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Curie Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sastre-Garau
authors.affiliation: INSERM-Tumoral Angiogenesis, Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pichon
authors.affiliation: International PharmaScience Center, Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tine Kold
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Olesen
authors.affiliation: Cochin Institute, Inserm U1016, CNRS 8104, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France Université Paris Descartes, DHU Risques et Grossesse, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gogusev
authors.affiliation: INSERM-Tumoral Angiogenesis, Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, Paris, France nicolae.ghinea@curie.fr.
authors.forename: Nicolae
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghinea
mesh_terms: D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011962:Receptors, FSH / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011962:Receptors, FSH
keywords: FSHR; angiogenesis; ectopic endometrium; eutopic endometrium