Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor mRNA in Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrial Tissues of Patients with Endometriosis / 대한산부인과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To Investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1, -2, and -3 (VEGFR-1, -2, and -3) mRNA in the eutopic and ectopic tissues in women with endometriosis. METHODS: At the time of laparoscopy or laparotomy for endometriosis, infertility or other benign gynecologic conditions, a biopsy specimen was taken from the endometrial cavity and a peritoneal endometriotic implant simultaneously whenever appropriate. For control samples, endometrial tissues were obtained from women without visual evidence of endomtriosis. We employed real time quantitative RT-PCR to quantify VEGFR gene expression of these tissues. Comparisions between each group were made using ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Kruskal-Wallis test and statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. RESULTS: The expression of VEGFR-1, -2, and, -3 mRNA was significantly higher in both eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues of women with endometriosis than in control endometrial tissues during both proliferative and mid-secretory phase. In ectopic endometrial tissue, VEGFR-1 mRNA expression was significantly increased during the mid-secretory phase compared to the proliferative phase. There was a marked increase especially in VEGFR-3 mRNA expression in ectopic endometriotic lesions during the proliferative phase but its expression decreased during the mid-secretory phase. CONCLUSION: mRNA for VEGFR-1, -2, and -3 in an endometriotic lesions might be differentially expressed and their expression appears to be associated with the development of endometriosis.