Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in endmetriosis

Objective:To observe the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7(MMP-7) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) in endmetriosis.and to study the possible role of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 in the pathogenesis of endmetriosis.Methods:The Expression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 in 35 ectopic endometrium and 35 eutopic endometrium in endmetriosis,were detected by immunohistochemical methods in comparison with 20 women without endometriosis and cancer and the results were analyzed with SPSS statistical software.Results:①The expression levels of MMP-7 in ectopic and eutopic adenomyosis tissues were higher than those in the normal endometrium.The positive rates of MMP-7 were 57.1%,45.7% and 40.0% respectively(P0.05).Density of MMP-7expression in endometrium from endometriosis patients was significantly higher compared with endometrium without endometriosis(P0.05).② Expression of TIMP-1 was detected in all samples.Density of TIMP-1 expression in endometrium from endometriosis patients was lower compared with endometrium without endometriosis(P0.05).Conclusion:MMP-7 plays an important role in endometriosis.An increase of MMP-7expression of eutopic endometrium with endometriosis and decrease of TIMP-1expression of ectopic lesions may participate in the process of invasion and tissue modeling that is hypothesized to occur in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.