Proliferative characteristics of eutopic and ectopic endometrium in adenomyosis using AgNOR technology

In: GEORGIAN SCIENTISTS · 2023 · doi:10.52340/gs.2023.05.01.04 · W4317851334
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This study utilized AgNOR technology to evaluate proliferative activity in adenomyosis tissues, finding higher activity in ectopic endometrium compared to eutopic endometrium and normal myometrium.

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The paper evaluated proliferative activity in archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from women diagnosed with adenomyosis, comparing eutopic (endometrial tissue in the uterine cavity) versus ectopic endometrium (endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium), along with their stromal components and normal myometrium, using AgNOR staining. AgNOR was used as an aid to assess cellular proliferative activity in FFPE blocks, with the study focusing on basal endometrium and related glandular and stromal proliferation patterns. The key finding was that the highest proliferative activity was observed in the ectopic endometrium, including basal endometrium components within both glandular and stromal parts of ectopic lesions. The authors’ caveat is that their interpretation of “probably” reflecting neoplastic risk is inferred from proliferative activity measurements rather than direct assessment of cancer outcomes. This paper is centrally about endometriosis/adenomyosis—specifically adenomyosis—by directly comparing proliferative characteristics of eutopic and ectopic endometrium within adenomyosis using AgNOR technology.

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Abstract

Adenomyosis is a benign lesion of the uterus, which is characterized by the presence and pathological growth of endometrial glands and stroma in the myometrium. During adenomyosis, endometrial tissue abnormally grown in the myometrium is called ectopic endometrium, and endometrial tissue in the uterine cavity is called eutopic endometrium. Women with adenomyosis may experience abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility, although, in one-third of women, the lesion is asymptomatic. Adenomyosis is the most frequently diagnosed pathology after hysterectomy in perimenopausal women due to heavy bleeding or pain. AgNOR is used as an aid for evaluating the proliferative activity of cells. Certain types of studies have demonstrated their effectiveness in differentiating various benign or malignant processes, as well as in determining the histological grade of intraepithelial neoplastic processes. Within the framework of this study, the proliferative activity of the eutopic and ectopic endometrium, as well as their stroma and normal myometrium, was evaluated on archival blocks fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin (FFPE), diagnosed in cases of adenomyosis, using AgNOR technology. In the studied system, eutopic endometrium - basal endometrium - in both the glandular and stromal components of ectopic endometrium, the highest proliferative activity is manifested in ectopic endometrium, which is why it can probably represent a risk for the development of neoplasms.
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Proliferative characteristics of eutopic and ectopic endometrium in adenomyosis using AgNOR technology Downloads Adenomyosis is a benign lesion of the uterus, which is characterized by the presence and pathological growth of endometrial glands and stroma in the myometrium. During adenomyosis, endometrial tissue abnormally grown in the myometrium is called ectopic endometrium, and endometrial tissue in the uterine cavity is called eutopic endometrium. Women with adenomyosis may experience abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility, although, in one-third of women, the lesion is asymptomatic. Adenomyosis is the most frequently diagnosed pathology after hysterectomy in perimenopausal women due to heavy bleeding or pain. AgNOR is used as an aid for evaluating the proliferative activity of cells. Certain types of studies have demonstrated their effectiveness in differentiating various benign or malignant processes, as well as in determining the histological grade of intraepithelial neoplastic processes. Within the framework of this study, the proliferative activity of the eutopic and ectopic endometrium, as well as their stroma and normal myometrium, was evaluated on archival blocks fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin (FFPE), diagnosed in cases of adenomyosis, using AgNOR technology. In the studied system, eutopic endometrium - basal endometrium - in both the glandular and stromal components of ectopic endometrium, the highest proliferative activity is manifested in ectopic endometrium, which is why it can probably represent a risk for the development of neoplasms. Downloads Antero MF, Ayhan A, Segars J, Shih IM. Pathology and Pathogenesis of Adenomyosis. Semin Reprod Med. 2020 May 1;38(2–3):108–18. Devlieger R, D’Hooghe T, Timmerman D. Uterine adenomyosis in the infertility clinic. Hum Reprod Update. 2003 Mar;9(2):139–47. Yamaguchi M, Yoshihara K, Suda K, Nakaoka H, Yachida N, Ueda H, et al. Three-dimensional understanding of the morphological complexity of the human uterine endometrium. iScience. 2021 Apr 23;24(4). Chapron C, Marcellin L, Borghese B, Santulli P. Rethinking mechanisms, diagnosis and management of endometriosis. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019 Nov 1;15(11):666–82. García-Solares J, Donnez J, Donnez O, Dolmans MM. Pathogenesis of uterine adenomyosis: invagination or metaplasia? Fertil Steril. 2018 Mar 1;109(3):371–9. Camboni A, Marbaix E. Ectopic endometrium: The pathologist’s perspective. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 1; 22(20). Munro MG. Classification and Reporting Systems for Adenomyosis. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2020 Feb 1; 27(2):296–308. Habiba M, Gordts S, Bazot M, Brosens I, Benagiano G. Exploring the challenges for a new classification of adenomyosis. Reprod Biomed Online. 2020 Apr 1;40(4):569–81. Goldblum JR, Clement PB, Hart WR. Adenomyosis with sparse glands: A potential mimic of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. Am J Clin Pathol. 1995;103(2):218–23. Hirschowitz L, Mayall FG, Ganesan R, McCluggage WG. Intravascular adenomyomatosis expanding the morphologic spectrum of intravascular leiomyomatosis. American Journal of Surgical Pathology. 2013 Sep;37(9):1395–400. Uduwela AS, Perera MAK, Aiqing L, Fraser IS. Endometrial-myometrial interface: Relationship to adenomyosis and changes in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2000 Jun;55(6):390–400. KY Chiu SLKW. Improved silver technique for showing nucleolar organiser regions in paraffin wax sections. J Clin Pathol. 1989;42:992–4. Boquist L. Nucleolar organizer regions in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic parathyroid glands. Virchows Archiv [A] Pathol Anat. 1990;417:237–41. Caldeira PC, Aguiar MCF, Mesquita RA, do Carmo MAV. Oral leukoplakias with different degrees of dysplasia: Comparative study of hMLH1, p53, and AgNOR. 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Original Research Article [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2022 Dec 30];198(1):198–201. Available from: www.ijmrp.com Rüschoff J, Plate K, Bittinger A, Thomas C. Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs): Basic Concepts and Practical Application in Tumor Pathology. Pathol Res Pract. 1989;185(6):878–85. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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adenomyosisdysmenorrheadyspareuniainfertility

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