Expression ofmembrane type-2and-3 matrix metalloproteinasesin eutopic endometrium of women with advanced endometriosis

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Endometriosis, one of the most common gynecologic disorders, is broadly defi ned as the presence of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity, associated with symptoms of dysmenorrhea, dyspaureunia, chronic pelvic pain and subfertility. But, the etiology and pathogenesis of endometriosis remain obscure. Theories that account for this susceptibility include genetic predisposition [1], large amount of retrograde menstruation [2], an altered peritoneal environment The most widely accepted theory is that the disease is caused by retrograde menstruation and subsequent implantation of endometrial glands on the surface of the abdominal cavity However, retrograde menstruation is frequently observed in women unaffected by endometriosis and such menstrual debris does not result in endometriosis in all women. Thus, additional factors may be present in the uterine endometrium of women who have developed the disease. The women who develop endometriosis are due to abnormalities inherent to their ectopic or eutopic endometrium. The refl uxed menstrual debris in women with endometriosis may