Immunohistochemical Analysis of CD44s and CD44v6 in Endometriosis and Adenomyosis: Comparison with normal, hyperplastic, and malignant endometrium

The expression patterns of CD44s and CD44v6 were immunohistochemically compared with those of normal, hyperplastic and malignant endometrium. In normal endometria (n=37), endometrioses (n=46) and adenomyoses (n=20), the surface and glandular epithelial cells were negative for CD44s and CD44v6 in a proliferative pattern and positive in a secretory pattern, whereas the stroma was only positive for CD44s in both proliferative and secretory patterns. The endometrial hyperplasia (4 simple and 9 complex) had the identical patterns with normal proliferative phase of endometrium. Only one case showing complex hyperplasia with atypia was focally positive for CD44s and CD44v6 in glandular epithelia. CD44s and CD44v6 were positive in all endometrial adenocarcinomas (13), except one CD44s-negative case. In summary, the expressions of CD44s and CD44v6 in endometriosis and adenomyosis recapitulated those of normal cyclic endometrium. The expression patterns in endometrial hyperplasia were similar to those in normal proliferative endometrium, whereas the endometrial adenocarcinoma showed abnormal expressions for CD44s and CD44v6. Thus it was considered that the ectopic endometrium in endometriosis and adenomyosis was not aberrant as in endometrial carcinoma on the aspects of immunohistochemical expressions of CD44s and CD44v6.

Immunohistological localisation of vascular endothelial growth factor in human endometrium.

Several polypeptide growth factors regulate epithelial and stromal development in endometrium under the influence of estrogen and progesterone, and thereby regulate growth and differentiation of endometrium during menstrual cycle. However, little is known about the angiogenic growth factors that may affect endometrial vasculature throughout each menstrual cycle. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is suggestively an important angiogenic growth factor in the female reproductive tract. The aim of the present study was to immunolocalize and assess semi-quantitatively VEGF immunostaining in cells of proliferative phase (n = 3), secretory phase (n = 6) and hyperplastic (n = 6) human endometrial samples. VEGF concentrations were significantly higher in glandular (P < 0.001) and stromal (P < 0.01) compartments of proliferative stage endometrium compared with those in secretory stage and hyperplastic endometrial samples, with no difference in the scores for glandular and stromal compartments between secretory stage and hyperplastic endometrial samples. Generally, glandular expression of VEGF was higher as compared to stromal compartment. Thus, it appears that endometrial VEGF expression and concentration are enhanced by estrogen, and may be correlated with neovascularization and increased vascular permeability during late proliferative period. Additionally, there was no enhancement in VEGF expression in hyperplastic glands, suggesting that regulation of glandular growth and that of angiogenesis in human endometrium operate through different mechanisms.

Expresion diferencial de los carbohidratos de mucina en endometrios humanos / Differential expression of mucin carbohydrates in human endometriuns

La aplicación de Lectinas para la identificación de oligosacáridos constituyentes de las Mucinas presentes en la superficie celular, es una herramienta técnica muy útil, debido a que, probablemente estas sustancias estén involucrados en procesos tales como invasión y metástasis. En este trabajo, nosotros estudiamos tejido endometrial normal com entidades benignas y malignas, para investigar la presencia de Galactosa beta 1-3 N Acetilgalactosamina (Galbeta 1-3GalNacalpha) y de Galactosa beta 1-3 N Acetilgalactosamina(Galbeta 1-3GalNa alpha y beta) empleando dos Lectinas: Agaricus bisporus (ABL) y Arachis hipogea (PNA) respectivamente. Lo controles fueron realizados com baños de galactosa para PNA y com mucina porcina de estómago de cerdo para ABL. El uso de estas dos Lectinas, permitió encontrar diferencias en los patrones de unión, ya que si bien ambas se unen a los mismos oligosacáridos, ABL realiza la unión en presencia de Acido Siálico mientras que PNA no. Se observaron significativas diferencias en los patrones de unión de ambas lectinas en tejidos, com entidades benignas, malignas y tejido normal. En este último, la marcación fue simpre continua com ambas Lectinas, mientras que fue irregular en el carcinoma.