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Integrins alpha 3 and alpha 6 are differentially expressed in endometrium and endometriosis
V Rai1, J Hopkisson, S Kennedy
1Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX39DC, U.K.
Abstract:
The expression of integrin subunits has been investigated in the stroma and epithelium of eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues, using immunohistochemistry and fluorescently activated cell-sorting techniques. Integrin subunits exhibited tissue-specific expression in both eutopic and ectopic endometrium. Integrin alpha 3 subunit was up-regulated in ectopic endometrium compared with the eutopic counterpart, whereas alpha 6 integrin subunit was down-regulated in the ectopic tissues. Cycle stage-dependent expression of alpha v and beta 3, observed in eutopic endometrium, was absent in the ectopic counterpart. It is concluded that the development and regeneration of the endometrium involve complex integrin-ligand interactions and that regulation of specific adhesive events is lost in endometriosis.