Increased concentrations of cathepsin D in peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis

Suzumori N, Nobuhiro Suzumori, N Suzumori, Yasuhiko Ozaki, Ozaki Y, Y Ozaki, Ogasawara M, Mayumi Ogasawara, M Ogasawara, Suzumori K, Kaoru Suzumori, K Suzumori
Molecular human reproduction · 2001 · vol. 7(5) , pp. 459–462 · doi:10.1093/molehr/7.5.459 · PMID:11331669 · W2166447347
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Cathepsin D concentrations were significantly higher in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis compared to controls, particularly in advanced stages and without GnRH agonist therapy.

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Abstract

To assess the release of the proteolytic enzyme cathepsin D in endometriosis, concentrations in peritoneal fluid and serum were measured by ELISA in 54 women with (n = 33) and without (n = 21) endometriosis. Surgery was scheduled in either the proliferative or secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. The concentrations of cathepsin D in the peritoneal fluid were markedly elevated in the endometriosis patients (median 58 ng/ml, interquartile range 0-166 ng/ml) as compared to the controls (5 ng/ml, 0-86 ng/ml), especially in women with late stage disease (n = 19, stages III/IV) and in those not undergoing gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy (n = 15). No significant difference was determined in cathepsin D concentrations of the serum from women with and without endometriosis. We conclude that cathepsin D is an important factor that may contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis, possibly by promoting digestion of extracellular matrix proteins. These results have implications for the therapeutic efficacy of GnRH agonists.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Ascitic Fluid Cathepsin D Endometriosis Adult Adult Ascitic Fluid Ascitic Fluid Cathepsin D Cathepsin D Cathepsin D Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Female Humans Humans Middle Aged Middle Aged

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (32)

Cited by (15)

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