Expression And Significance Of E-cadherin And α-catenin In Human Endometrium And Endometriosis

Objective: To investigate the relationship between E-cadherin,α-catenin and endometriosis. Methods: Expression of E-cadherin and α-catenin was evalutated by immunohistochemistry method in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues from 30 patients with endometriosis and the endometrial tissues of 30 non-endometriosis subjects during the same menstrual phase. Results: E-cadherin and α-catenin were restricted to epithelial cells,their expression remained constant throughout the menstrual cycle.Decreased expression of E-cadherin and α-catenin in epithelial cells was found in eutopic endometrium(P＜0.05) and ectopic endometrium (P＜0.01) as compared with endometrium in controls.We also observed a decreased expression of E-cadherin and α-catenin in advanced stages of the disease. Conclusions: In patients with endometriosis, Expression of E-cadherin and α-catenin changed significantly from eutopic to ectopic endometrium which may be involved in the development of endometriosis.