The expression of αvβ_6 integrin and its biological significance in patients with endometriosis

Objective To explore the biological significance of αvβ6 integrin expression in ectopic and eutopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis(EM).Methods Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reation(RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression of αvβ6 integrin in 34 patients with endometriosis and 28 cases of eutopic endometrium of the control group.Results All glandular epithelial cells of eutopic and ectopic endometrium in endometriosis and eutopic endometrium in the normal control expressed αvβ6 in different degree.The gene expression of αvβ6 in eutopic endometrium of EM group was significantly higher than that of eutopic endometrium of the control group(P0.01).The gene expression of αvβ6 in ectopic endometrium was significantly higher than that of eutopic endometrium of EM(P0.01).The positive percentage of αvβ6 integrin in eutopic endometrium of EM group was significantly higher than that in endometrium of the control group(P0.05).The positive percentage of αvβ6 integrin in ectopic endometrium was significantly higher than that in eutopic endometrium of EM,(P0.05).There was no significant difference between the gene expression of αvβ6 integrin of ovarian endometrioma and red peritoneal lesion,and both of them were significantly higher than uterosacral ligament nodule(P0.01).The expression of αvβ6 integrin gene and protein have no significant difference(secretory versus proliferative)(P0.05).No significant difference was observed between early stage and advanced stage of EM in both levels of protein and gene(P0.05).Conclusion The up-regulated expression of αvβ6 integrin in eutopic and ectopic endometium in EM suggests that αvβ6 integrin may play a role in the development of EM.