Expression of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 in Eutopic and Ectopic Endometium, and Peritoneal Fluid in Endometriosis

Objective: To study the relationship between ICAM-1 and endometriosis. Metheds: The expression of sICAM-1 protein was determined by ELISA and immunochemistry method in 30 peritoneal fluid (PF), 21 eutopic endometrum and 8 ectopic endometrial tissue of endometriosis, and in 25 PF and 20 endometrium of normal controls during the same menstrual phase. Results: In endometriosis cases, the expression of sICAM-1 in PF was higher than that of controls (P0.01). Expression of ICAM-1 in ectopic endometrium was significantly lower than that without endometriosis (P0.05). Expression of ICAM-1 in ectopic endometrium was significantly higher than of eutopic endometium (P0.01) and that of normal controls (P0.05). Conclusions: In patients with endometriosis, abnormal ICAM-1 expression in PF, eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium may be related to the development of endometriosis.