Clinical-Pathologic Features of Microvessel in Endometriosis

Objective: To investigate the angiogenetic characteristics by immunohistochemistry method in patients with ovary endometriosis (OEMs) and adenomyosis (AM) combined with endometriosis(EMs). Methods: Thirty-eight patients with OEMs and AM combined with endometriosis EMs and 31 healthy control were included in this study. The expression of vas-cular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was detected by immunohistochemistry. The vascular endothelial cell (VEC) and perithelial cell,microvessel density (MVD) and microvessel pericyte coverage index (MPI)were detected by dual-immuno-histochemistry. Results: The level of VEGF was higher during all period of menstruation in the ectopic endometrium of OEMs,while the expression of VEGF was only increased in secretary phase in adenomyosis and eutopic endometrium. The MVD of AM was significantly higher than endometrium and OEMs(P 0.01). The microvessel pericytes coverage index (MPI) was significantly decreased in both OEMs and AM ( P 0.01). There were no significant correlation amony VEGF,MVD and MPI. There was a negatively correlation between MVD and MPI. Conclusion:Angiogenesis exerts a very important role in endometriotic pathogenesis. Abnormality of eutopic endmetrium may be a decisive factor in ectopic lesion formation. Angiogenesis is more active in AMs.