Expression and significance of E-cadherin and α-catenin in endometriosis

Objective To investigate the relationship between E-cadherin(E-cad),α-catenin(α-cat) and endometriosis(EM). Methods Expression of E-cad and α-cat was evalutated by immunohistochemistry method in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues from 30 patients with EM and the endometrial tissues of 30 non-EM subjects during the same menstrual phase. Results E-cad and α-cat were restricted to epithelial cells,and their expression remained constant throughout the menstrual cycle.Decreased expression of E-cad and α-cat in epithelial cells was found in eutopic endometrium(P 0.05)and ectopic endometrium (P 0.05) compared with controls. A decreased expression of E-cad and α-cat was also observed in advanced stages of the disease. Conclusion In patients with EM,the expression of E-cad and α-cat changs significantly from eutopic to ectopic endometrium which may be involved in the development of EM.