Estrogen production and metabolism in endometriosis.

Abstract

Aromatase activity is absent in normal endometrium. In contrast, aromatase is expressed aberrantly in endometriosis, which gives rise to strikingly high levels of aromatase activity in this tissue. Both aromatase expression and activity are stimulated by PGE2. This results in local production of estrogen, which induces PGE2 formation and establishes a positive feedback cycle. Another abnormality in endometriosis, that is, deficient 17beta-HSD type 2 expression, impairs the inactivation of estradiol to estrone. These molecular aberrations collectively favor accumulation of increasing quantities of estradiol and PGE2 in endometriosis. The clinical relevance of these findings was exemplified by the successful treatment of an unusually aggressive case of postmenopausal endometriosis using an aromatase inhibitor.

• Authors: Serdar E Bulun, Sijun Yang, Zhojuan Fang, Bilgin Gurates, Mitsutoshi Tamura, Siby Sebastian
• Journal: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Ann N Y Acad Sci) Vol. 955 Pg. 75-85; discussion 86-8, 396-406 (Mar 2002) ISSN: 0077-8923 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11949967 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Review)

Chemical References

• Aromatase Inhibitors
• Enzyme Inhibitors
• Estrogens
• Aromatase
• Dinoprostone

Topics

• Aromatase (metabolism)
• Aromatase Inhibitors
• Dinoprostone (metabolism)
• Endometriosis (drug therapy, enzymology, metabolism)
• Endometrium (enzymology)
• Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Estrogens (biosynthesis, metabolism)
• Female
• Humans