Abstract:

Objective   To investigate expression of RhoE／Rnd3 protein in human adenomyosis and its potential clinical effect． Methods   The immunohistochemical method was employed to detect RhoE／Rnd3 protein expression of the eutopic endometrium obtained from 32 patients without adenomyosis(the control group), and the eutopic(A group) and ectopic (B group)endometrial tissues surgically obtained from 38 patients with adenomyosis(the experimental group). Expression was detected in endometrial glandular cells, stromal cells and smooth muscle cells of the normal and the adenomyosis groups． Results   ① In endometrial glandular cells： expressions of RhoE／Rnd3 in the control group were significantly higher than those of the eutopic(t=11.3, P<0.05) and the ectopic (t=9.33，P<0.05) endometria of the experimental groups, but there was no significant difference between the latter two groups(t=1.63， P>0.05). ②In stromal and smooth muscle cells there was no significant variance of RhoE /Rnd3 in the stromal cells of the three groups, and there was no significant difference in the smooth muscle cells between the control group and the experimental group (P>0．05).  ③ Expression of RhoE／Rnd3 in endometrial glandular cells was related to the course of adenomyosis. Expression levels in tissues from patients whose clinical courses exceeded two years were obviously lower than those from patients whose clinical courses were less than two years(P＜0.05). Conclusion   The RhoE／Rnd3 protein may play a considerable role in the development of adenomyosis, and it could be an important tumorsuppressing gene.

Key words: RhoE／Rnd3 protein； Adenomyosis； Immunohistochemistry