Obstetrics & Gynecology Science

Original Article: Korean J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;45(5):774-780. Published online May 1, 2002.; The Endometrial Expression of Endoglin in women with Endometriosis.; Sung Hoon Kim, Hee Dong Chae, Kyu Rae Kim, Chung Hoon Kim, Byung Moon Kang, Young Min Choi; ¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE
To compare the angiogenic activities of endothelial cells in the eutopic endometrium of women with and without endometriosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty women with histologically confirmed endometriosis after laparotomy or laparoscopy were recruited. Twenty women with carcinoma in situ of uterine cervix, but no evidence of endometriosis served as control. All sections were stained by immunohistochemistry using anti-human endoglin monoclonal antibody and positively stained microvessels were counted in 5 areas at X 200 magnification field following selection of areas of densest vascularity at low magnification field. Results were analyzed with Mann Whitney U-test, and statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. RESULTS: Including all menstrual phases, the mean number of vessels with endoglin expression was significantly greater in those with endometriosis compared with controls. In each menstrual phase, significant difference was observed only during the late secretory phase. Within the endometriosis group, the mean numbers of vessels with endoglin expression in stages I and II were not different from stages III and IV. CONCLUSION: This study shows the expression of endoglin in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis is significantly increased and the increase is observed only in the late secretory phase. It is suggested from these findings that activation of angiogenesis in the eutopic endometrium might be a key factor in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Keywords :endoglin;endometriosis;angiogenesis;endometrium