Gene products estrogen receptor alpha, progesterone receptor-A, retinoid X receptor alpha, insulin-like growth factor-II, insulin-like growth factor I receptor beta, platelet-derived growth factor, epithelial growth factor receptor, and BCL-2 were examined by immunohistochemistry with the aid of a tissue microarray from 46 hysterectomies with adenomyosis and leiomyomata.
These studies investigate the relationship between leukocyte populations, steroid hormone receptor expression, proliferative activity, bcl-2 expression and apoptosis in eutopic and ectopic endometrium from women with endometriosis or adenomyosis at different phases of the menstrual cycle.