Immunocytochemical analysis of proliferative activity of endometrial and myometrial cell populations in focal and stromal adenomyosis

Abstract

Immunocytochemical study has shown that Ki-67 antigen is detected in adenomyosis in both endometrial and myometrial cell populations (in the eutopic and ectopic endometrial glandular epithelium, stromal cells, smooth muscle cells, and vascular endotheliocytes of the endometrium and myometrium), the label index differing significantly in different cell populations. The highest labeled cell index is found in the endometrial gland epitheliocytes in focal adenomyosis (23.2 ± 2.9%); in the stromal variant this index is by 2.8 times lower despite the fact that this variant is associated with endometrial glandular hyperplasia in the majority of cases. Proliferative activity of secretory epitheliocytes is significantly lower in both adenomyosis variants than in the normal eutopic endometrium. Stromal adenomyosis is characterized by 2-fold higher proliferative activity of the cytogenic stroma than that in focal adenomyosis.