The expression of the hormone receptors in the endometrium and endometrial polyps in postmenopausal women and its relationship to body mass index

Objective: To evaluate and compare the relationship of body mass index (BMI) and the immunoexpression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) in endometrial polyps (EP) and endometrium, in gland and stromal cells of postmenopausal women. Methods: Thirty-five postmenopausal women with benign endometrial polyps, who had not been taking medication with hormonal effects for at least 6 months, were submitted to operative hysteroscopy. The presence of ER and PR were evaluated by immunohistochemical method using a semiquantitative analysis. Results: BMI was significantly higher among patients with lower expression of ER in the glands of endometrium (P = 0.02). EP and adjacent endometrium showed significantly higher proportion of positive cells in the glands than in the stroma, for both ER (p = 0.0015 and 0.0018, respectively) and PR (p = 0.0176 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Glands and stroma cells showed significantly higher proportion of positive cells in polyps than in the endometrium, for ER (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0034, respectively). Conclusions: The higher proportion of positive gland cells for ER in EP as compared to endometrium supports an implication of these receptors in the pathogenesis of polyps. Association of higher BMI with lower expression of ER in endometrial glands, but not in EP, may indicate that factors influencing ER expression do not affect EP, supporting an autonomous function of polyps. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.