TENASCIN-C EXPRESSION IN ENDOMETRIOSIS

Objective: To investigate the expression of Tenascin-C (TN-C) in endometrium and endometriosis. Study Design: Comparative immunohistochemical study. Setting: Academic medical center. Patients: Ectopic (n = 32) and homologous eutopic endometrium (n = 20) from women with endometriosis and endometrium from women without endometriosis (n = 17) were included in the study. Interventions: Tissue sections were immunostained with monoclonal TN-C antibody. Main outcome measures: Microscopic evaluation to assess the presence and localization of TN-C throughout the menstrual cyle in both eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues of women with endometriosis and compare it to the normal endometrium. Results: No statistical difference of TN-C expression was found neither between both groups of endometrial samples and nor between the eutopic and ectopic endometrial samples of women with endometriosis. Conclusions: Expression of TN-C seems to be restricted in both normal endometrial tissues and endometrial tissues of women with endometriosis. Our findings are partially controversial with the studies suggesting that this ECM glycoprotein have a regenerative role on the endometrium. However, it seems to have a role on the implantation process and it may be related with the infertility mechanisms involved in endometriotic disease.