Increased concentrations of TGF-β1 in endometriotic tissue are considered important in the pathophysiology of endometrial diseases since TGF-β1 may inhibit natural killer activity and induce angiogenesis and proliferation of endometrial stromal cells. In the present study we report on TGF-β1, IGF-1 and their receptor localization, as detected by Northern hybridization and immunohistochemistry, in ovarian endometriotic tissues removed during surgical procedures. We detected comparable expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1 receptor in the stromal and epithelial compartments, thus confirming disregulated expression of the IGF system in ovarian endometriosis. On the contrary, strongly increased TGF-β1 steady state level mRNA expression was detected in all endometriotic samples. In addition, we demonstrated weak TGF-β1 immunohistochemical expression in the epithelial lining and intense expression in the cellular stroma of ovarian endometriomas, thus suggesting that TGF-β1 could have an important role in the maintenance and propagation of the disease. On the basis of these preliminary results we can assume that TGF-β1, IGF-1 and their receptors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

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