Objective: To identify consistent genetic changes in endometriosis samples to determine whether endometriosis lesions are true neoplasms.
Design: We analyzed ovarian endometriosis lesions for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 12 loci of potential importance (D9S1870, D9S265, D9S270, D9S161, D11S29, D1S199, D8S261, APOA2, PTCH, TP53, D10S541, and D10S1765), including some at which genetic changes were previously reported in endometriosis.
Setting: Molecular biology laboratory in a university hospital department.
Patient(s): Seventeen women with ovarian endometriosis.
Intervention(s): Laser capture microdissection to separate the endometriotic epithelium, the adjacent endometriotic stroma, and surrounding normal ovarian stromal tissue, followed by DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction amplification of polymorphic microsatellite markers.
Main outcome measure(s): Fluorescence-based quantitation for the LOH analysis.
Result(s): We identified LOH in only one lesion at one locus (D8S261).
Conclusion(s): Our data do not support the hypothesis that ovarian endometriosis is a true neoplasm.