Aberrant expression of glutathione peroxidase in eutopic and ectopic endometrium in endometriosis and adenomyosis

Objective: To determine the expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in t he eutopic and ectopic endometria during the menstrual cycle in endometrios is and adenomyosis. Design: Immunohistochemical identification of GPx in endometrial tissues id entified using the polyclonal antibody. Setting: Department of obstetrics and gynecology in a university hospital. Patient(s): One hundred fourteen women divided into three groups: 33 patien ts with endometriosis, 34 patients with adenomyosis, and 47 fertile control subjects. Intervention(s): Endometrium biopsied throughout the menstrual cycle. Main Outcome Measure(s): Endometrial cells: semiquantitative immunostaining (evaluation nomogram) score. Result(s): The analyses revealed phase-dependent changes of GPx expression in the surface and glandular epithelia in the eutopic endometrium during th e menstrual cycle in the fertile controls, i.e., the expression was weak in the early proliferative phase, gradually increased, was most marked in the early secretory phase, and decreased thereafter. The expression of GPx in the eutopic endometrium in endometriosis lost the variation during the mens trual cycle. The expression of GPx in adenomyosis was persistently marked o ver the control levels throughout the menstrual cycle. Conclusion(s): The aberrant expression of GPx in the eutopic endometrium th roughout the cycle suggests a pathological role in endometriosis and adenom yosis. (C) 2000 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.