Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in normal endometrium and endometriosis: an immunohistochemical study.

OBJECTIVE

To study epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor expression in endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and to compare EGF-receptor expression in endometrium from patients with endometriosis with receptor expression in synchronously sampled endometriosis and in endometrium from healthy women.

DESIGN

An immunohistochemical study of receptor expression using murine monoclonal antibodies and timed endometrial and endometriotic biopsies.

SUBJECTS

25 healthy women and 27 patients with a diagnosis of endometriosis.

RESULTS

Positive staining for EGF receptors was observed in 24 of 25 samples from normal women and in 26 of 27 endometrial samples from patients with endometriosis. In neither group was there any variation in the intensity of staining throughout the menstrual cycle and both glands and stroma were stained. EGF-receptor expression was observed in the glands of 15 out of 17 endometriotic lesions and in 12 of these biopsies positive staining was also present within endometriotic stroma.

CONCLUSION

This study shows no difference in the intensity of staining of EGF receptors in endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle or between the glands of normal endometrium and those of endometriosis.