Expression Of Ang-1, Ang-2 And Tie-2 In The Ectopic And Eutopic Endometrium Of Women With Endometriosis

Objective To study the localization and expression of Angiopoietin-l(Ang-l), Angiopoietin-2(Ang-2) and Tie-2 in human ectopic and eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis;and to expore the role of Ang-1, Ang-2, Tie-2 in progression and angiogenesis of the endometriosis.Methods 30 endometriosis patients with ectopic lesiond on both ovary and myometrium(Adenomyosis) were chosen to our study. Specimens including eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium of ovarian endometrial cyst and adenomyosis were collected. Specimens of eutopic endometrium of 30 patients with other gynecological diseases were collected and used as controls. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the location and expression of Ang-1, Ang-2, and Tie-2 protein in different tissues. And microvascular density(MVD) was counted according to the expression of Tie-2 in the endothelial cells of vessels.Results Ang-1 and Ang-2 were expressed in the endometrial glandular epithelium, stromal cells and the endothelial cells of vessels, Tie-2 was expressed in the endometrial glandular epithelium and the endothelial cells. The positive expression rate of Ang-2 in the eutopic endometrium and the myometrium ectopic endometrium of the endometriosis patients were both 46.7%, significantly higher than those in the normal control group(13.3%), P<0.05. The positive expression rate of Tie-2 in the eutopic endometrium of the endometriosis patients was 30.0%, significantly higher than that in the ectopic endometrium of the ovarian endometrial cyst (3.3%);and the positive rate in the ectopic endometrium of the adenomyosis was 43.3%, significantly higher than that in the ectopic endometrium of the ovarian endometrial cyst (3.3%) and in the eutopic endometrium of the non-endometriosis patients(6.7%). The expression levels of Ang-2 and Tie-2 in the ectopic endometrium of the adenomyosis were positively correlated with clinical stages. In all periods of menstruation, MVD in the eutopic endometrium of the endometriosis patients wassignificantly higher than that in the normal control group, and MVD in the adenomyosis was the highest.Conclusion Ang-2 and Tie-2 may interact and contribute to occurrences, progression and angiogenesis of endometriosis. By conbining with Tie-2, Ang-2 may break the stable state of vessels and promote the angiogenesis and the development of endometriosis;Ang-1 may not play main role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The angiogenesis activity in the eutopic endometrium of the endometriosis was higher than that of the non-endometriosis, the blood supply and angiogenesis activity were well in the ectopic lesions of adenomyosis;these were all good to the plantation and development of endometriotic lesions.