Aberrant expression pattern of gap junction connexins in endometriotic tissues
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This study found aberrant expression of connexin 43 and 26 in human endometriotic tissues, with hormonal regulation differing from normal endometrium, indicating dedifferentiation.
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Abstract
The expression of gap junction connexins (Cx) in the female reproductive tract of rodents and in the human endometrium is highly regulated by steroid hormones. Here we have investigated the distribution and regulation properties of Cx43, Cx26 and Cx32 in the human ectopic endometrium of 41 patients, using immunohistochemistry. The biopsies were obtained during the early or late follicular phase (26 cases), during the corpus luteum phase (five cases) and after a 6 month treatment with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist (three cases) or progestin (seven cases). Aberrant expression of Cx43 was found in the epithelium of nearly all endometriotic glands whereas Cx26, typical for human uterine epithelium cells, was only detected in 18 cases; in 17 it was co-expressed with Cx43. The stromal compartment of the tissues did not express any connexins investigated. Staining for Cx32 was absent in all endometriotic tissues. Strong expression of Cx43 was correlated with a high serum value of 17 beta-oestradiol, whereas a strong expression of Cx26 was found with high values of progesterone mainly in patients after progestin treatment. The epithelium of endometriotic implants collected after GnRH agonist treatment expressed Cx26 and Cx43 only moderately. The patterns described demonstrate an aberrant connexin expression and a different hormonal regulation pattern in endometriotic tissues compared to the normal cyclic uterine endometrium, thus indicating a high dedifferentiation from the normal situation. However, endometriosis still remains a hormonally-dependent benign disease, and hence, can be treated hormonally.
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References (8)
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Cited by (14)
- Adenomyotic Lesions Are Induced in the Mouse Uterus after Exposure to NSAID and EE2 Mixtures at Environmental Doses 2024
- Endometrial Gap Junction Expression - Early Indicators of Endometriosis and Integral to Invasiveness 2021
- Role of connexins in female reproductive system and endometriosis 2020
- Direct Cell–Cell Interactions in the Endometrium and in Endometrial Pathophysiology 2018
- Physiological and pathological implications of retinoid action in the endometrium 2018
- Global Transcriptome Abnormalities of the Eutopic Endometrium From Women With Adenomyosis 2016
- Estradiol Reduces Connexin43 Gap Junctions in the Uterus during Adenomyosis in Cows 2016
- Gap junction connexins in female reproductive organs: implications for women's reproductive health 2015
- Endometriosis: A New Cellular and Molecular Genetic Approach for Understanding the Pathogenesis and Evolutivity 2014
- Reduced connexin 43 in eutopic endometrium and cultured endometrial stromal cells from subjects with endometriosis 2013
- Connexin expression pattern in the endometrium of baboons is influenced by hormonal changes and the presence of endometriotic lesions 2009
- Theories of endometriosis 2001
- Cellular and Genetic Constitution of Human Endometriosis Tissues 2000
- Expression pattern of integrin adhesion molecules in endometriosis and human endometrium 1998
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- europepmc
- last seen: 2026-06-04T01:30:01.192114+00:00
- openalex
- last seen: 2026-06-04T00:00:01.174412+00:00
- pubmed
- last seen: 2026-05-13T22:10:52.568893+00:00
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