Kathy L. Sharpe-Timms

The cause of reduced fecundity in women with endometriosis is unknown. Expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) by both ectopic and eutopic endometrium reportedly has a role in the p…

Estrogens have permanent developmental effects in the fetus. Our lab is investigating the potential for xenobiotic estrogens to program endometriosis-related genes during fetal development. It has recently been reported that women exposed i…

Many studies have pointed to differences in functional immune cell phenotypes between women with and those without endometriosis, but there is as yet no evidence that endometriotic cells escape immune surveillance. HLA-G is a major histocom…

Endometriosis is classically defined as ectopic growth of endometrial glands and stroma. Currently, histologic confirmation of laparoscopic findings is paramount for diagnosis of endometriosis and evidence is evolving suggesting that the pa…

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the endometrial glandular epithelial and stromal cells in tissue fragments recovered from peritoneal fluid and to quantify haptoglobin expression. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized study. SETTING: University of Missour…

BACKGROUND: HLA-G is a major histocompatability antigen with documented immune-regulatory function. Various epithelial cancers and tissue allografts have been noted to express HLA-G, which is postulated to aid in their escape from immunosur…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of endometriotic haptoglobin on peritoneal macrophage function. DESIGN: Prospective laboratory study. SETTING: School of medicine. PATIENT(S): Twenty-three women with and without endometriosis. INTERVE…

Peritoneal endometriotic tissues synthesize and secrete haptoglobin (pHp), which has an analogous nucleotide sequence to hepatic haptoglobin found in serum (sHp). This study performed enzymatic digestions and lectin binding assays to determ…

Following retrograde menstruation, shed endometrial tissue fragments attach to and invade the peritoneal surface to form established endometriotic lesions. With disease progression, the biochemically active lesions undergo remodeling and be…

Although there are disadvantages of extrapolating data across species, the rat model may be used to study events involved in the pathogenesis and pathophysiologies of endometriosis or novel therapeutic approaches for this disorder that are …

In vivo levels of mRNA and the specificity of the extrauterine environment on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-2, and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 were evaluated in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue during…

Endometriotic lesions are defined by extrauterine growth of endometrial glands and stroma. Retrograde menstruation with subsequent attachment, invasion, and neovascularization are believed to give rise to the endometriotic lesions. As most …

Endometriosis protein-I (ENDO-I) mRNA expression and protein localization were evaluated using in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in endometriotic lesions and eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis, and in eutopic end…