This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Agic, A. Articles by Hornung, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Relative Expression of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptor, Vitamin D 1-Hydroxylase, Vitamin D 24-Hydroxylase, and Vitamin D 25-Hydroxylase in Endometriosis and Gynecologic Cancers

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Schleswig-Holstein

Hong Xu, MD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Schleswig-Holstein

Christopher Altgassen, MD, PhD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Schleswig-Holstein

Frank Noack, MD

Department of Pathology University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany

Monika M. Wolfler, MD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Aachen, Germany

Klaus Diedrich, MD, PhD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Schleswig-Holstein

Michael Friedrich, MD, PhD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Schleswig-Holstein

Robert N. Taylor, MD, PhD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Daniela Hornung, MD, PhD

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Schleswig-Holstein, d.hornung{at}gmx.de

The authors demonstrate expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and its hydroxylases in the endometrium and ovaries of women with and without endometriosis and endometrial or ovarian cancer. Immunohistochemistry showed strong staining of the VDR in endometriosis and endometrial cancer, with the most intense staining in epithelial cells. The VDR mRNA was significantly increased in patients with endometrial and ovarian cancer compared to the control group. There was a significantly higher 1-hydroxylase expression in the endometrium of patients with endometriosis compared to healthy controls. The observed differences in VDR and 1 -hydroxylase mRNA levels were maintained at the protein level. The authors found no differences in 25-OH vitamin D levels between the serum of patients with endometriosis (25.7 ± 2.1 ng/mL, n = 46) and healthy controls (22.6 ± 2.0 ng/mL, n = 33, P = .31). They hypothesize that vitamin D might influence the local activity of immune cells and cytokines thought to play important pathogenic roles in the development and maintenance of endometriosis.

Key Words: Endometriosis • gynecologic cancer • vitamin D • hydroxylases.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?