Human growth hormone and interleukin-6 are upregulated in endometriosis and endometrioid adenocarcinoma

In this retrospective and quantitated study on banked tissue we found that, compared to normal uterine epithelial cells, growth hormone (GH) is increased 3.4-fold in endometriosis and 3.8-fold in endometrial adenocarcinoma. Similarly, interleukin-6 (IL-6) is increased 2.4-fold in endometriosis and 4.4-fold in endometrial adenocarcinoma. These proteins appear to be involved in the progression of both these conditions. GH is particularly interesting in this context since it is known to not only promote cellular proliferation but also reduces cell-cell adhesion, thus allowing individual cells to break away from their parent architecture. Our results suggest that both IL-6 and GH may play a role in the progression of both endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma.