This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Blumenthal, R. D. Articles by Goldenberg, D. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Blumenthal, R. D. Articles by Goldenberg, D. M.

(American Journal of Pathology. 2000;156:1581-1588.)
© 2000 American Society for Investigative Pathology

Regular Articles

Degranulating Eosinophils in Human Endometriosis

Rosalyn D. Blumenthal^*, Michael Samoszuk, Alice P. Taylor^*, Gloria Brown^*, Rita Alisauskas^* and David M. Goldenberg^*

From the Garden State Cancer Center,^*
Belleville, New Jersey; and Quest Diagnostics,
San Juan Capistrano, California

Degranulating eosinophils have been described in most endometrial cancers. We hypothesized that endometriosis (ectopic, nonneoplastic endometrial tissue) would be an appropriate model system for determining whether eosinophil degranulation is part of a specific immune response to endometrial cancer or if it is related to the more general phenomenon of tissue remodeling (wound healing) that is common to both disorders. To test this hypothesis, we performed immunohistochemistry and Western blotting to evaluate the presence of eosinophil peroxidase (a marker of eosinophil degranulation) in normal endometrium (n = 20) and endometriosis samples (n = 24) and to define the coexpression of three eosinophil chemoattractants: interleukin-5 (IL-5), eotaxin, and regulated on activator-normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). There was focally intense deposition of eosinophil peroxidase in the fibrotic connective tissue and blood vessels of 21 of 24 human endometriosis specimens; two samples showed weak staining, and only one tissue was negative for eosinophil degranulation. None of the 10 normal proliferative endometrial specimens had evidence of eosinophil degranulation, and four of 10 secretory tissues stained only weakly for eosinophil peroxidase. The presence of degranulating eosinophils was also associated with the presence of eotaxin and IL-5 in some samples and with RANTES in others. We conclude that the abundant presence of degranulating eosinophils in the fibrous regions of endometriosis supports the interpretation that eosinophils are involved in general tissue remodeling and wound healing rather than a tissue-directed immune response.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. OuYang, Y. Hirota, Y. Osuga, K. Hamasaki, A. Hasegawa, T. Tajima, T. Hirata, K. Koga, O. Yoshino, M. Harada, et al. Interleukin-4 Stimulates Proliferation of Endometriotic Stromal Cells Am. J. Pathol., August 1, 2008; 173(2): 463 - 469. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Hastings, K. S. Jackson, P. A. Mavrogianis, and A. T. Fazleabas The Estrogen Early Response Gene FOS Is Altered in a Baboon Model of Endometriosis Biol Reprod, August 1, 2006; 75(2): 176 - 182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Ye, S. Skates, S. C. Mok, N. K. Horick, H. F. Rosenberg, A. Vitonis, D. Edwards, P. Sluss, W. K. Han, R. S. Berkowitz, et al. Proteomic-Based Discovery and Characterization of Glycosylated Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin and COOH-Terminal Osteopontin Fragments for Ovarian Cancer in Urine Clin. Cancer Res., January 15, 2006; 12(2): 432 - 441. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. B. Kodali, W. J.H. Kim, I. I. Galaria, C. Miller, A. D. Schecter, S. A. Lira, and M. B. Taubman CCL11 (Eotaxin) Induces CCR3-Dependent Smooth Muscle Cell Migration Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., July 1, 2004; 24(7): 1211 - 1216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. O'Bryan, P. Pinkston, V. Kumaraswami, V. Vijayan, G. Yenokida, H. F. Rosenberg, R. Crystal, E. A. Ottesen, and T. B. Nutman Localized Eosinophil Degranulation Mediates Disease in Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia Infect. Immun., March 1, 2003; 71(3): 1337 - 1342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Sinaii, S.D. Cleary, M.L. Ballweg, L.K. Nieman, and P. Stratton High rates of autoimmune and endocrine disorders, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and atopic diseases among women with endometriosis: a survey analysis Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2002; 17(10): 2715 - 2724. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Parrott, M. Butterworth, A. Green, I. N. H. White, and P. Greaves Adenomyosis--A Result of Disordered Stromal Differentiation Am. J. Pathol., August 1, 2001; 159(2): 623 - 630. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. Hornung, L. L. Waite, E. A. Ricke, F. Bentzien, D. Wallwiener, and R. N. Taylor Nuclear Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors {{alpha}} and {{gamma}} Have Opposing Effects on Monocyte Chemotaxis in Endometriosis J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2001; 86(7): 3108 - 3114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Salcedo, H. A. Young, M. L. Ponce, J. M. Ward, H. K. Kleinman, W. J. Murphy, and J. J. Oppenheim Eotaxin (CCL11) Induces In Vivo Angiogenic Responses by Human CCR3+ Endothelial Cells J. Immunol., June 15, 2001; 166(12): 7571 - 7578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Hornung, K. Klingel, K. Dohrn, R. Kandolf, D. Wallwiener, and R. N. Taylor Regulated on Activation, Normal T-Cell-Expressed and -Secreted mRNA Expression in Normal Endometrium and Endometriotic Implants : Assessment of Autocrine/Paracrine Regulation by in Situ Hybridization Am. J. Pathol., June 1, 2001; 158(6): 1949 - 1954. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]