Increased expression of stathmin in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Stathmin was identified as an endometriosis-related protein by comparative proteomics in our previous study. As a microtubule-destabilizing factor, stathmin was shown to participate in the relay and integration of diverse intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and many other cellular activities. To investigate whether stathmin is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we examined the expression of stathmin in eutopic endometrium of women with or without endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eutopic endometrium samples were collected from thirty-six patients who were diagnosed as endometriosis and the nineteen age-matched patients who were confirmed to be free of endometriosis surgically and histologically. The expression of stathmin mRNA was detected by real-time PCR, and its protein was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Stathmin was overexpressed in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis detected by real-time PCR in mRNA levels and by Western blotting in protein levels, without significant difference between proliferative and secretory phase. Immunohistochemistry showed that stathmin protein was localized in both endometrial glandular and stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Stathmin is overexpressed in endometrium of patients with endometriosis and may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.</p>

Expression of Annexin-1 in patients with endometriosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Annexin-1 was identified as an endometriosis-related protein by comparative proteomics in previous study. As an endogenous anti-inflammatory mediator, Annexin-1 has been shown to regulate the immune response, cell proliferation and apoptosis. To investigate whether Annexin-1 is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we examined the expression of Annexin-1 in eutopic endometrium of women with or without endometriosis, and detected its expression in peritoneal fluids of those with endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eutopic endometrium samples from twenty-five women with endometriosis and those from sixteen age-matched women without endometriosis were collected. Peritoneal fluids were obtained from ten patients with endometriosis. The expression of Annexin-1 protein in eutopic endometrium was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, and mRNA detected by real-time PCR. Annexin-1 protein in the peritoneal fluids was detected by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Annexin-1 mRNA and protein were overexpressed in eutopic endometrium of endometriosis without significant differences between the proliferative and secretory phase. Immunohistochemistry showed that Annexin-1 protein was expressed mainly in endometrial glandular cells throughout the menstrual cycle. Annexin-1 protein was detected in the peritoneal fluids of all the ten patients with endometriosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Annexin-1 is overexpressed in eutopic endometrium and presents in the peritoneal fluids of patients with endometriosis, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.</p>

Management of ureteral endometriosis: a report of ten cases / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features and management of ureteral endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients surgically and histologically diagnosed as ureteral endometriosis from January 2001 to January 2007 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten patients were diagnosed as ureteral endometriosis among 7561 cases with surgically and histologically proved diagnosis of endometriosis, with an incidence of 0.132%. Nine out of 10 patients were extrinsic ureteral endometriosis and concomitant with severe pelvic endometriosis, and the other was intrinsic ureteral endometriosis. Hormone therapy failed in 2 patients with urinary tract obstruction. Ureterolysis was performed in 6 patients and ureterectomy was performed in 4 patients. One case of ureteral recurrence was observed in a postmenopausal woman without hormonal replacement therapy who received laparoscopic ureterolysis and hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy. No relapse was observed in the other 9 patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Ureteral endometriosis is a rare entity. The upper urinary tract should be evaluated in patients with severe endometriosis, even in postmenopausal women. The treatment of ureteral endometriosis usually requires surgery, while ureterolysis should not be performed in patients with extensive disease. As a form of adjuvant therapy of surgery, hormonal therapy is an appropriate option.</p>