Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 in ectopic endometrium of endometriosis

Objective:To determine the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7(MMP-7) for investigating the possible role of MMP-7 in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.Methods:Endometrial specimens were obtained from 27 cases with endometriosis and 20 of normal uterus tissues as control. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of MMP-7 in both groups.Results:①The relative amount of MMP-7 mRNA in ectopic endometrium was significantly higher than that of the controls(0.6981±0.2351 vs. 0.5250±0.1931)(P0.05).②The density of MMP-7 mRNA expression in ectopic endometrium tended to be up-regulated with advanced clinical stage of endometriosis, but there was no marked difference in statistics(P0.05).Conclusion:The higher expression of MMP-7 mRNA in ectopic endometrium suggests that it may be responsible for the development of endometriosis.