Expression of motility-related molecule Cdc42 in endometrial tissue in women with adenomyosis and ovarian endometriomata

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Cdc42 expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue in patients with adenomyosis and ovarian endometriotic cysts compared with patients without endometriosis. DESIGN: Experimental retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Twenty-four patients with adenomyosis, 19 with ovarian endometriomata, and 9 with fibroids or benign ovarian cysts. INTERVENTION(S): Hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Immunostaining for Cdc42 of eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues. RESULT(S): In eutopic endometrium of patients with adenomyosis and with fibroids or benign ovarian cysts, the intensity of Cdc42 immunostaining was weaker, especially in the specialized stromal cells, compared with cases with ovarian endometriosis (chi(2) test, P=.003). Expression of Cdc42 in eutopic endometrium showed a trend to be higher in the secretory than in the proliferative phase and in patients with ovarian endometriotic cysts compared with patients with adenomyosis (unpaired t test, P=.005), especially in the proliferative phase. CONCLUSION(S): An abnormally high expression of Cdc42 in eutopic endometrium in the secretory phase may contribute to the development of ovarian endometriosis, but it does not seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis.