Endometriosis transcription profiling

Endometriosis is a complex pathological condition in which multiple components are involved in the disease development and clinical outcome. Endometriosis is mainly an inflammatory codition estrogen-dependent, with unknown pathogenesis, that is characterized by dissemination of edometrium tissue in ectopic position (ovary or pelvic peritoneum). Two main theories rise the pathologic onset: the presence of retrograde menstruation and celomic metaplasia in the pelvic peritoneum, that can occur for development defects. Endometriosis is related not only to genetic or immunological changes and to environmental pollution factors, as the endocrine interferents. The disease phenotype results from multiple events (genetics and enviromental), thus it is difficult to find a single gene as causative while is more probable that a gene network/s might involved in the onset and mantainement of the disease state. The peculiarity of endometriosis rely on the tissue speificity manteinance in the ectopic position, where it responds to the hormone stimuli as the tissue in the eutopic position. In order to identify genes potentially involved in growth and mainteinance of the ectopic endometrium, we have profiled ectopic (8 samples g-p) and eutopic endometrium (8 samples q-z) from several affected woman in the proliferative phase. As control we used endometrium from normal health donors in the same phase (6 samples a-f).