The Role of Apoptosis in Endometriosis

Periodic and idiopathic apoptosis is observed in the endometrium during the normal menstrual cycle.However,the expression of apoptosis-related genes in the eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium observed during endometriosis is different from that observed in the normal endometrium.Many studies have shown that endometriosis is associated with reduced expression of apoptosis-inducing fas/fasl,and an increase in the expression of apoptosis-suppressing genes such as bcl-2 and survivin.Many of the drugs currently used to treat endometriosis act through apoptosis,so a better understanding of its role in the development and progression of endometriosis is needed.The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth summary of the existing literature about the physiological role of apoptosis in the normal endometrium and the alterations that occur in the eutopic and ectopic endometrium during endometriosis.The relationship between apoptosis and the treatment of endometriosis is also discussed.