The role of tissue factor and protease-activated receptor 2 in endometriosis.

Problem: Little is known about the roles of TF and PAR-2 in endometriosis. This article investigated the expression of TF and PAR-2 in ectopic and eutopic endometrium with endometriosis and their relationship with the menstrual cycle.

Methods: Ectopic and eutopic endometrium tissues from 42 women with ovarian endometrioma and endometrium tissues from 20 women without endometriosis were obtained. All the samples were assessed for TF and PAR-2 protein location using immunohistochemistry and for relative TF and PAR-2 mRNA expression using real-time florescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR).

Results: Total TF and PAR-2 expression were significantly higher in ectopic and eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis when compared with controls. Moreover, TF expression in ectopic and eutopic endometrium and PAR-2 expression in ectopic endometrium were significantly increased through the whole menstrual cycle. However, in eutopic endometrium with endometriosis, PAR-2 expression only in secretory phase was higher than its cycle-matched normal controls. There is no such difference in the proliferative phase.

Conclusion: The abnormal co-upregulated expression of TF and PAR-2 in eutopic and ectopic endometrium may affect the development and growth of endometriotic lesions and highlighted the pathologic role of TF and PAR-2 in eutopic endometrium in endometriosis.