Endometriosis Knowledgebase


A repository for genes associated with endometriosis

Results


PMID 17506371
Gene Name PLAU
Condition Endometriosis
Association Associated
Sex Female
Associated genes TGF-beta1, uPA
Other associated phenotypes Endometriosis
Local activation of TGF-beta1 at endometriosis sites.

J Reprod Med. 2007 Apr;52(4):306-12.

Komiyama, Shin-ichi| Aoki, Daisuke| Komiyama, Mizuka| Nozawa, Shiro

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. komiyama@fujita-hu.ac.jp

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors related to activation of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1) at sites of endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN: TGF-beta1 is activated by plasmin, which is formed when plasminogen is activated by urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). We studied these factors by immunohistochemistry or immunoassay. RESULTS: TGF-beta1 protein was localized mainly in the cytoplasm of glandular epithelial cells in both endometriotic cysts and normal endometrium, but strongly positive immunostaining was significantly more common in cysts. The levels of TGF-beta1, uPA and plasmin/alpha2-plasmin inhibitor complex were all higher in cyst fluid than in peritoneal fluid. There was little uPA protein expression in the glandular epithelium of normal endometrium, but it was prominent in the cytoplasm of glandular epithelial cells from endometriotic cysts, and strongly positive immunostaining was significantly more common in cysts. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TGF-beta1 activity is increased at sites of endometriosis due to enhanced production of both uPA and TGF-beta1 by glandular epithelium and because plasmin activates TGF-beta1 after being converted from plasminogen by uPA.

Mesh Terms: Adult| Chi-Square Distribution| Endometriosis/*metabolism/pathology| Female| Fibrinolysin/*metabolism| Humans| Immunoassay| Immunohistochemistry| Middle Aged| Ovarian Cysts/*metabolism/pathology| Statistics, Nonparametric| Transforming Growth F