Obstet Gynecol Sci.  2016 Mar;59(2):123-129. 10.5468/ogs.2016.59.2.123.

Increased expression of nuclear factor kappa-B p65 subunit in adenomyosis

• Park H
• Kim SH
• Cho YM
• Ihm HJ
• Oh YS
• Hong SH
• Chae HD
• Kim CH
• Kang BM

• KMID: 2159007
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5468/ogs.2016.59.2.123

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) is a critical proinflammatory regulator that has been suggested to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of endometriosis. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether the expression of NF-κB p65 subunit is increased in the eutopic endometrium and/or in the adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis.
METHODS
Thirty-three women with histologically confirmed adenomyosis after laparoscopic or transabdominal hysterectomy were recruited. Women with carcinoma in situ of uterine cervix without evidence of adenomyosis or endometriosis (n=32) served as controls. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues were sectioned and immunostained utilizing a monoclonal anti-human NF-κB p65 subunit antibody, and the immunoreactivity of NF-κB p65 subunit was compared between women with and without adenomyosis.
RESULTS
The immunoreactivities of both the nuclear and the cytoplasmic NF-κB p65 subunit were significantly increased in the stromal cells in the eutopic endometrium as well as in the adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis compared with controls, respectively. The nuclear expression of NF-κB p65 subunit was significantly higher in the glandular cells in the eutopic endometrium as well as the adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis compared with controls, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The expression of NF-κB p65 is increased in the eutopic endometrium and adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis, which strongly suggest that NF-κB plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and/or pathophysiology of adenomyosis.

Keyword

Adenomyosis; Endometriosis; Endometrium; NF-kappa B; p65 subunit

MeSH Terms

Adenomyosis*
Carcinoma in Situ
Cervix Uteri
Cytoplasm
Endometriosis
Endometrium
Female
Humans
Hysterectomy
NF-kappa B
Stromal Cells
NF-kappa B

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Representative micrographs (×400) of nuclear factor kappa-B p65 subunit immunostaining in the eutopic endometrium of the control patient (A), the eutopic endometrium of the adenomyosis patient (B), and adenomyosis nodule of the adenomyosis patient (C). P, proliferative phase; S, secretory phase; MS, mid-secretory phase.

• 

  Fig. 2 Graphs showing HSCORES of nuclear factor kappa-B p65 subunit immunostaining in the cytoplasm (A,C) and the nucleus (B,D) of the stromal cells (A,B) and glandular cells (C,D). T, total menstrual stages put together; P, proliferative phase; S, secretory phase; ES, early secretory phase; MS, mid-secretory phase; LS, late secretory phase. Data of HSCORES are expressed as mean±SEM. a)P <0.05 vs. control, b)P <0.005 vs. control.

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