title: Immunohistochemical expression pattern of metastasis suppressor KISS-1 protein in adenomyosis lesions and normal endometrium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Kisspeptins are multifunctional peptides; it has been shown that they act as inhibitors of tumor metastasis in a range of cancers and that they are also involved in cell invasion through regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of KISS-1 protein in adenomyosis lesions compared with matched eutopic endometrium, as well as with endometrium from patients without adenomyosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this comparative, non-interventional study, adenomyosis and corresponding eutopic endometrium samples from women with histologically proven adenomyosis after hysterectomy, and eutopic endometrium samples from women without adenomyosis were analysed. Expression of KISS-1 protein was analyzed immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded adenomyotic tissue specimens (n=29), matched eutopic endometrium from the same patients (n=29) and normal endometrium from patients without adenomyosis (n=29).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using a semi-quantitative immunohistochemical score, we found that KISS-1 protein expression was higher in the adenomyotic as compared with matched eutopic glandular endometrium (p<0.05), in which in turn KISS-1 protein expression was higher than those from patients without adenomyosis (p<0.001). The inverse correlation was found in the stroma, between adenomyosis lesions and matched eutopic endometrium (p<0.01), while no statistically significant correlation was found in KISS-1 protein expression in the stroma between patients with and without adenomyosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  KISS-1 protein expression appears to be up-regulated in adenomyotic as compared with eutopic glandular endometrium of patients with, as well as women without adenomyosis. These findings are suggestive of the involvement of KISS-1 protein in the pathogenesis and maintenance of adenomyosis. Future studies should investigate whether KISS1 protein could be used as a marker for early and minimally invasive detection of adenomyosis, based on its differential protein expression pattern in the eutopic endometrium of patients with and without adenomyosis.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Frauenklinik, Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kolioulis
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; School of Health and Medical Care, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: mzafrakas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zafrakas
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grimbizis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miliaras
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timologou
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bontis
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Tarlatzis
mesh_terms: D062788:Adenomyosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C106628:KISS1 protein, human; D059648:Kisspeptins
keywords: Adenomyosis; Endometrium; Immunohistochemistry; KISS-1; Kisspeptin