Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2011 Aug;54(8):441-447. 10.5468/KJOG.2011.54.8.441.

Expression of membrane type-2 and -3 matrix metalloproteinases in eutopic endometrium of women with advanced endometriosis

• Chung HK
• Lee JY
• Jeong KA
• Chung HW

• KMID: 2274064
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5468/KJOG.2011.54.8.441

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) for membrane type-2 matrix metalloproteinases (MT2-MMPs) and MT3-MMP and compare their expression pattern in women with severe endometriosis and normal controls.
METHODS
Quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the mRNA expression of MT2-MMP and MT3-MMP in endometrium from 36 women with severe endometriosis and 52 women without endometriosis throughout the menstrual cycle.
RESULTS
Eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis expressed higher levels of MT3-MMP than that from normal women in secretory phase (P < 0.05). MT2-MMP expression from eutopic endometrium showed no significant differences between patients with endometriosis and controls.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that eutopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis may be more proteolytic, angiogenic and prone to growth because of greater MT3-MMP expression than endometrium from women without endometriosis. Thus, increased proteolytic and angiogenic activities may be one of the explanations of the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Keyword

Membrane type-2 matrix metalloproteinases; Membrane type-3 matrix metalloproteinases; Endometriosis

MeSH Terms

Endometriosis
Endometrium
Female
Humans
Matrix Metalloproteinase 15
Matrix Metalloproteinase 16
Matrix Metalloproteinases
Membranes
Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA, Messenger
Matrix Metalloproteinase 15
Matrix Metalloproteinase 16
Matrix Metalloproteinases
RNA, Messenger