J Korean Med Sci.  2008 Oct;23(5):802-807. 10.3346/jkms.2008.23.5.802.

Decreased Expression of Angiogenin in the Eutopic Endometrium from Women with Advanced Stage Endometriosis

• Kim SH
• Choi YM
• Chae HD
• Kim CH
• Kang BM

• KMID: 1783064
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2008.23.5.802

Abstract

Angiogenin, a potent inducer of angiogenesis, is expressed in human endometrium. This study was performed to compare the expression of angiogenin mRNA level in the eutopic endometrium from women with and without endometriosis. Thirty-two women with advanced stage endometriosis and 29 control women were recruited. Following isolation of total RNA from endometrial tissue and reverse transcription, cDNA samples were amplified by real time polymerase chain reaction to quantify the expression of angiogenin genes. In selected patients, immunohistochemical staining was utilized to localize the area of angiogenin expression. Angiogenin mRNA level was significantly lower in the endometriosis group than in the control group during the secretory phase, especially the mid-secretory phase, and the decline was observed mainly in the women who presented with infertility. Within the endometriosis group, angiogenin mRNA levels did not differ between the proliferative and secretory phases, but, in the control group, the level in the secretory phase was higher than that during the proliferative phase. Immunohistochemistry showed that the glandular epithelial cell layer was decorated positively in both groups. These findings suggest that the relative deficiency of angiogenin expression in the secretory endometrium could impair implantation in women with advanced stage endometriosis.

Keyword

Angiogenin; Endometriosis; Endometrium; Infertility

MeSH Terms

Adult
Endometriosis/*metabolism/pathology
Endometrium/*metabolism
Female
Fertility
*Gene Expression Regulation
Humans
Immunohistochemistry/methods
Menstrual Cycle
Models, Biological
RNA, Messenger/metabolism
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Ribonuclease, Pancreatic/*biosynthesis

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Relative expression of angiogenin in the eutopic endometrium of women with and without endometriosis during menstrual phases. *, Significant difference between proliferative and secretory phases (p<0.05); †,‡, Significant difference between patients and controls (p<0.05). All data are expressed as mean±SEM. WP, whole menstrual phase; P, proliferative phase; S, secretory phase; EP, early proliferative phase; MP, mid-proliferative phase; LP, late proliferative phase; ES, early secretory phase; MS, mid-secretory phase; LS, late secretory phase.

• 

  Fig. 2 Relative expression of angiogenin in the eutopic endometrium of women with and without endometriosis during the mid and late secretory phases. *,†, Significant difference between controls and patients with endometriosis who presented with infertility (p<0.05).

• 

  Fig. 3 Immunohistochemical stains for angiogenin in the endometrium of the mid- secretory phase. Glandular epithelial cell layer is decorated positively (arrows) in both groups and the localization of positive staining was not different between the two groups. (A) Control (Magnification, ×200), (B) Control (Magnification, ×400), (C) Endometriosis (Magnification, ×200), (D) Endometriosis (Magnification, ×400).

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