Expression of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C enzymes in normal endometrium and in endometriosis

Objective: To delineate the panel of expression of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) signaling enzymes in normal endometrium and in endometriosis.

Design: Clinical/experimental study.

Setting: University.

Patient(s): Healthy donor woman and endometriosis-affected woman.

Intervention(s): Normal endometrium and endometriosis surgical biopsies were analyzed using gene expression analyses methodology (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [PCR], bioanalyses).

Main outcome measure(s): Gene expression (messenger RNA concentration) measures of 12 PI-PLC enzymes: PI-PLC β1, PI-PLC β2, PI-PLC β3, PI-PLC β4, PI-PLC γ1, PI-PLC γ2, PI-PLC δ1, PI-PLC δ3, PI-PLC δ4, PI-PLC ε, PI-PLC η1, and PI-PLC η2.

Result(s): PI-PLC β1, PI-PLC β3, PI-PLC δ1, and PI-PLC δ3 enzymes were detected, although differently expressed in normal and endometriosis tissues.

Conclusion(s): The involvement of PI-PLC enzymes in inflammation and the consistency of susceptible endometriosis loci with PI-PLC genes mapping corroborate the hypothesis that PI signaling might be involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.