Endometriosis is characterised by angiogenesis.

Marc H. Schreinemacher (328755), Walter H. Backes (161847), Jos M. Slenter (328756), Sofia Xanthoulea (212847), Bert Delvoux (328757), Larissa van Winden (328758), Regina G. Beets-Tan (328759), Johannes L. H. Evers (328760), Gerard A. J. Dunselman (328761), Andrea Romano (212092)
2015 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033241.g005 · W6904242029
other OA: green CC0
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This study utilizes immunohistochemistry to analyze vascular characteristics in endometriotic lesions compared to normal uterine tissue. The researchers stained for CD31 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (aSMA) to distinguish between immature vessels lacking pericytes and mature, stable blood vessels. They observed that while normal endometrial vessels were predominantly mature and aSMA-positive, the endothelial cells within abdominal wall, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous endometriotic lesions were largely CD31-only positive, indicating a lack of pericyte coverage. This finding highlights angiogenesis as a defining feature of these ectopic tissues, supporting the potential use of gadofosveset-trisodium enhanced MRI for diagnosis. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — specifically characterizing the angiogenic phenotype of endometriotic lesions via immunohistochemical markers.

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Abstract

Different tissues were stained by immunohistochemistry for CD31 (endothelial cell marker) and the pericyte marker aSMA (present in mature vessels only). Representative images are shown. A. In the uterus (eutopic endometrium), most CD31 positive blood vessels are also aSMA positive, indicated by the black arrow-heads in the enlargements. ‘e’ = endometrium; ‘m’ = aSMA positive myometrial cells; ‘v’ = large-mature blood vessels present in the myometrial layer. B. Abdominal wall consisting in large part of striated muscular tissue (mu), with some connective (c) and fat (f) tissues. A surgically induced endometriotic lesion is present on the left image, and visible as aSMA positive myometrial tissue (at the bottom-left of the low-magnification image; blue arrow-head). C & D. Intraperitoneal (C) and subcutaneous (D) lesions. In the endometrial layer of the lesions (e), most blood vessels are DC31 only positive (red arrow-heads in the enlargements); ‘m’ = myometrium (aSMA positive cells).
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Towards Endometriosis Diagnosis by Gadofosveset-Trisodium Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Figure 5 Endometriosis is characterised by angiogenesis. Different tissues were stained by immunohistochemistry for CD31 (endothelial cell marker) and the pericyte marker aSMA (present in mature vessels only). Representative images are shown. A. In the uterus (eutopic endometrium), most CD31 positive blood vessels are also aSMA positive, indicated by the black arrow-heads in the enlargements. ‘e’ = endometrium; ‘m’ = aSMA positive myometrial cells; ‘v’ = large-mature blood vessels present in the myometrial layer. B. Abdominal wall consisting in large part of striated muscular tissue (mu), with some connective (c) and fat (f) tissues. A surgically induced endometriotic lesion is present on the left image, and visible as aSMA positive myometrial tissue (at the bottom-left of the low-magnification image; blue arrow-head). C & D. Intraperitoneal (C) and subcutaneous (D) lesions. In the endometrial layer of the lesions (e), most blood vessels are DC31 only positive (red arrow-heads in the enlargements); ‘m’ = myometrium (aSMA positive cells).

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