Katsumi Tsukamoto

Detection of aromatase cytochrome P-450 in endometrial biopsy specimens as a diagnostic test for endometriosis

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical usefulness of examining endometrial biopsy specimens for aromatase cytochrome P-450 as a diagnostic test for endometriosis. DESIGN Retrospective, case-controlled study. SETTING Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. PATIENT(S) One hundred five women of reproductive age with normal menstrual cycles underwent endometrial biopsy laparotomy or laparoscopy, and examination of their tissue revealed endometriosis, adenomyosis, and/or leiomyomas. Patients who had cervical carcinoma in situ but no other gynecologic disease were considered to be disease-free. INTERVENTION(S) Endometrial biopsy specimens were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The expression of aromatase cytochrome P-450 was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analysis. The distribution and intensity of the immunostaining was assessed using a semiquantitative index designed H-score. RESULT(S) Immunostaining for aromatase cytochrome P-450 was detected in biopsy specimens obtained from patients with endometriosis, adenomyosis, and/or leiomyomas but not in specimens obtained from disease-free patients (H-score <20), with a sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION(S) The expression of aromatase cytochrome P-450 in biopsy specimens of eutopic endometrium distinguishes between disease-free women and women with endometriosis, adenomyosis, and/or leiomyomas. This technique can be used at outpatient infertility clinics as an initial screening procedure to rule out the presence of estrogen-dependent disease.

Genetic Contribution of the Interleukin-10 Promoter Polymorphism in Endometriosis Susceptibility

PROBLEM: Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) is an important immunomodulatory cytokine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms of the IL‐10 gene promoter polymorphisms may be responsible in part for genetic susceptibility to endometriosis.

Expression of Aromatase Cytochrome P450 in Eutopic Endometrium and Its Application as a Diagnostic Test for Endometriosis

Endometriotic implants, like other estrogen-dependent tumors, contain both estrogen receptors and aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom), suggesting that at a local level, endometriotic implants produce estrogens, which may be involved in tissue growth through interaction with the estrogen receptors. P450arom is also expressed in the eutopic endometria of patients with endometriosis, adenomyosis, and/or leiomyomas, whereas neither P450arom protein nor mRNA is expressed in the eutopic endometria of normal menstruating women with cervical carcinoma in situ yet showing no other gynecological disease (disease-free). Examination of P450arom expression in endometrial biopsy specimens enables the physician to discriminate between the presence and absence of endometriosis, and may be used as an initial screening at outpatient infertility clinics.

Uptake of estrone and estrone-3-sulfate by lung of macaca fuscata.

An equimolar mixture of 3H-E1-S2 and 14C-E1 was injected in one shot into the inferior vena cava near the heart of female Japanese monkey. Following the injection, blood was collected from the aortic arch at intervals of 15 s over a period of 10 min. The concentration of radioactivities in the whole blood and serum was measured. The metabolites were analyzed by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography, enzyme hydrolysis, thin layerchromatography and paperchroma-tography. Both radioactivities of 3H-E1-S and 14-E1 rapidly decreased in the first 90-s serum sample. The 3H/14C ratio in the 0-15-s serum sample was 5 times higher than the initial ratio of injected compounds. The radioactivities in the serum gradually decreased after 90 s of injection. The 3H/14C ratio in the pulmonary tissue was very low after collecting the final blood sample. This result shows that the most of 3H-E1-S passed through the lung and the larger part of 14C-E1 remained in the lung following injection of these materials. So, it is probable that E1-S is in a form to be carried in the general circulation.