Expression Of Tyrosine Kinase C-kit In Endometriosis And Its Relation With ICAM-1 And VEGF

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of c-kit tyrosine kinase (c-kit) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and the correlation between c-kit And intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)/vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), through detecting the expression of c-kit,ICAM-1and VEGF in normal endometrium, eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium of endometriosis.METHODS: The semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to examine the levels of c-kitmRNA in the following groups:26 cases with normal endometrium, 20 cases with eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium of endometriosis from ovary . Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the c-kit , ICAM-1 and VEGF protein expression in the normal endometrium, the eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium of endometriosisRESULT: 1.The expressions of c-kitmRN were significantly lower in normal endometrium compared with eutopic endometrium and ectopic endometrium of endometriosis (P<0.05). These three groups endometrium showed similar expressions of c-kitmRNA through out the menstrual cycle.2. In the three groups endometrium, we found the expressions of c-kit,ICAM-1 and VEGF was the highest in the ectopic endometrium and the lowest in normal endometrium (P<0.05). Normal endometrium in the secretory phase showed significantly increased expressions of VEGF compared with that in the proliferative phase(P<0.05). 3.c-kit and ICAM-1 expressions were positively correlated to normal, eutopic and ectopic endometrium(P<0.05); c-kit and VEGF expressions were positively correlated to eutopic and ectopic endometrium(P<0.05) CONCLUSION: C-kit in the eutopic and ectopic endometrium is involved in the pathogenesis. The expressions of c-kit is positively correlated with ICAm-1 and VEGF in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of endometriosis.