The role of cyclooxygenase-2 in the development of endometriosis

Objective To measure the level of cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) in endometriosis(EM) patients’ peritoneal fluid(PF) and serum,and evaluate its role in the pathogenesis of EM.Methods Thirty-five cases with endometriosis and 35 normal women as the controls were studied.The level of COX-2 in peritoneal fluid and serum was determined by enzyme-linked immunoabsordence assay.Results COX-2 in PF was significantly higher than that in serum in EM women and in normal controls(P0.05).COX-2 in PF was significantly higher in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ(American Fertility Society,AFS) than that in stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ(P0.05).There was no significant difference of COX-2 expression between proliferation and secretory endometrium in EM group(P0.05).Conclusion The increased expression of COX-2 in EM may be one of the pathogenesises of endometriosis.