Expression of COX-2 in eutopic and ectopic endometrium and the PGE_2 concentration in peritoneal fluid of women with and without endometriosis.

Objective To analyze the concentration of PGE2 in peritoneal fluid,and the expression of COX-2 in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of women with and without endometriosis,and study the relationship between them,and then discuss the correlation between COX-2,PGE2 and endometriosis.Methods The PGE2 concentration of 28 endometriosis patients (study group)and 22 patients with myoma of uterus or common ovaria cyst(control group) were detected by RIA,the expression of COX-2 in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of study group and in eutopic endometrium of control group were detected by immunohistochemistry(SP method). Results (1) The PGE2 concentration of Ⅰ-Ⅱ,Ⅲ-Ⅳ stages of study group were all higher than that in control group(P0.05),but there were no difference between Ⅰ-Ⅱand Ⅲ-Ⅳ stage. (2) The PGE2 concentration of the two groups were all low in proliferative phase and higher in secretary phase; but the PGE2 concentration of study group were higher than that of the control group in the same phase of menstrual cycle(P0.05). (3) The COX-2 expression in eutopic endometrium of the two groups were all low in proliferative phase and higher in secretary phase,there was no difference of COX-2 expression in ectopic endometrium between the two phase of menstrual cycle; the COX-2 expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrim of study group were all higher than that in control group in the same phase of menstrual cycle(P0.05). (4) The COX-2 expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of study group had no statistic correlation with the division of AFS-r. (5)The PGE2 concentration of peritoneal fluid had no statistic correlation with COX-2 expression of ectopic endometrium.Conclusion The overexpression of COX-2 in eutopic,ectopic endometrium and the abnormal increasing of peritoneal PGE2 concentration may be one of the reasons that induce the occurrence and development of endometriosis.