c-fos protein was predominantly located in the nuclei of glandular epithelial cells and stromal cells. c-fos and MMP-9 protein levels in paired eutopic and ectopic endometria from women with endometriosis were significantly higher than those in the endometrium from women without endometriosis.
MMP-2 and MMP-9, and E-cadherin expressions were significantly higher and beta-catenin expression was significantly lower in endometriosis as compared to endometrioid carcinoma.
These findings make plausible the involvement of MMP-9/TIMP-1 imbalance in the invasiveness of the endometrial tissue of patients with endometriosis and the ectopic development of the disease.
Our results suggest that decreased phagocytotic capability of peritoneal macrophage in patients with endometriosis may be caused by PGE(2)-mediated decreases in MMP-9 expression.
Gene expression levels of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenin, MMP-2, MMP-9 and membrane-type 1 (MT1)-MMP in these endometriotic lesions were compared with those in normal eutopic endometrium obtained from 12 women without endometriosis.