EXPRESSIONS OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-1 AND ITS TISSUE INHIBITOR IN ENDOMETRIOTIC TISSUE

Objective To investigate the roles of matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Methods Immunohistochemical S-P method was employed to detect the expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in the ectopic tissue and eutopic endometrium of 51 patients with endometriosis and 30 normal controls. Results The expression level of MMP-1 in the endometriotic tissue was higher, while that of TIMP-1 in the endometriotic tissue was lower, than in the normal and the eutopic endometrium of the patients with endometriosis (H=9.86-13.62, P0.01). The cyclical variation of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 was not detected in the endometriotic tissue, but no significant difference existed between the eutopic and normal endometrium (P0.05). Conclusion The high expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and the low expression of TIMP-1 in endometriotic tissue make ectopic endometrial tissue more invasive, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.