Relationship between apoptosis and the number of macrophages in eutopic endometrium from women with and without endometriosis

Donald P. Braun, Braun DP, Jianchi Ding, Ding J, J Shen, Shen J, Rana N, N Rana, Nasir Rana, Balbino B. Fernandez, B B Fernandez, Fernandez BB, Dmowski WP, W. Paul Dmowski
Fertility and sterility · 2002 · vol. 78(4) , pp. 830–835 · doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(02)03334-4 · PMID:12372464 · W2152148633
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This study investigated the connection between apoptosis and macrophage count in the uterine lining of women with and without endometriosis.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between apoptotic cells and macrophages in the eutopic endometrium of women with and without endometriosis. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of archival uterine endometrial biopsy specimens. SETTING: Institute for the Study and Treatment of Endometriosis, and university-based pathology and research laboratories. PATIENT(S): Fifty-one women with endometriosis and 24 healthy control subjects without endometriosis. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The number of TUNEL+ (terminal deoxynucleotide transferase [TdT]-mediated deoxyuridine triphospate [dUTP] nick end-labeling-positive) (apoptotic) cells and CD68+ (CD68 positive) (macrophages). RESULT(S): Apoptotic cells and macrophage numbers were positively correlated in the eutopic endometrium of women with and without endometriosis. However, the number of apoptotic cells and the macrophage content in the endometrium of women with endometriosis was significantly reduced compared with that of healthy control subjects without endometriosis. Differences between apoptosis and macrophage numbers between the two populations were observed predominantly during the early proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle. CONCLUSION(S): The reduction in apoptosis described for endometrial cells in women with endometriosis may be related to reduced macrophage trafficking into the eutopic endomtrium during the early-proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Apoptosis Apoptosis Endometriosis Endometrium Macrophages Biopsy Biopsy Cell Count Cell Count Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Female Female Humans Humans In Situ Nick-End Labeling In Situ Nick-End Labeling Macrophages

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (13)

Cited by (50)

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