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a Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
Key Words: endometriosis • endometrium • tissue factor
Address for correspondence: Dr. Graciela Krikun, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, School of Medicine. 333 Cedar St., P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06520-8063. Voice: +1-203-785-5951. graciela.krikun{at}yale.edu
Tissue factor (TF), is a cellular receptor that binds the ligand factor VII/VIIa to initiate the blood coagulation cascade. In addition to its role as the initiator of the hemostatic cascade, TF is known to be involved in angiogenesis via an interaction with factor VIIa and protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2). In this article we review previous studies from our laboratory demonstrating that the pattern and level of TF expression is altered in multiple cell types derived from eutopic and ectopic endometrium from women with endometriosis compared with normal endometrium. We posit that the inflammatory environment that occurs in ectopic and eutopic endometrium from patients with disease results in high TF expression that in turn, signals via PAR-2 to further produce inflammatory cytokine or chemokine production and macrophage recruitment. Thus, our studies suggest that TF might be an ideal target for therapeutic intervention in endometriosis.
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