title: Correlation of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosamine transferases-3 and -6 to different stages of endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression patterns of N-acetyl galactosamine transferases (GalNAc-Ts)-3 and GalNAc-T6 in clinicopathologically characterized endometriosis (EMS), and to explore their clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissue samples were obtained and confirmed with CD-10 immunohistochemistry in patients with EMS (n = 12), whereas normal control endometrium was obtained from patients with uterine septum (n = 12). The mRNA and protein levels of GalNAc-T3 and GalNAc-T6 were detected in these samples using quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GalNAc-T3 and GalNAc-T6 were expressed in the endometrium of all groups, with no significant changes observed during the menstrual cycle. The expression of GalNAc-T3 and GalNAc-T6 in ectopic endometrium was significantly lower than that in eutopic (P < 0.05) or control endometrium (P < 0.05), whereas there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between eutopic and control endometria. Furthermore, the expression of GalNAc-T3 and GalNAc-T6 was significantly lower in patients with stage III/IV EMS compared to patients with stage I/II (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both GalNAc-T3 and GalNAc-T6 expression levels were downregulated in ectopic endometrium, which may increase the adhesion and invasion of endometrial cells and contribute to the development of EMS. Moreover, we found a strong correlation between the expression of GalNAc-T3 and GalNAc-T6 and different stages of EMS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China.|Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Zhejiang University, China Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiangwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Zhejiang University, China Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Junyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Zhejiang University, China Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Caiyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China. xukh@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Kaihong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China. linjun@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000097763:Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase
chemical_list: D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000097763:Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; C121529:UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 6
keywords: Adhesion; Endometriosis; GalNAc-T3; GalNAc-T6; Invasion